Customers have long been frustrated with McDonald’s broken ice cream machine, but there might finally be a way for the brand to keep them operating.
On October 18, The U.S. Copyright Office granted an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), so now restaurants like McDonald’s have the “right to repair” copyright-protected machinery. Prior to the exemption, copyright-protection meant that, even if machines were broken, it was illegal for employees to try and fix the issue themselves or call a local handyman to help.
Now, McDonald’s employees can bypass any error messages and promptly fix the McFlurry machines. So say goodbye to broken ice cream machines and hello to a McFlurry with every meal!
A history of broken ice cream machines
Believe it or not, the problem wasn’t necessarily that McDonald’s ice cream machines broke down more often — they just took a long time to fix.
McFlurry machines are manufactured by Taylor Company, so Taylor Company repairmen were previously the only people allowed to fix the machines. Though the company promised efficiency, many McDonald’s locations were often left waiting on repairs for months, Food & Wine reports.
Ironically, the Taylor website states that its products bring “no-nonsense efficiency” and that restaurants will “move faster, save on labor and serve an irresistibly consistent product.” The frequent lack of McFlurrys can attest to that so-called consistency.
On top of the wait time, repairs were also extremely expensive. According to Food & Wine, Taylor repairmen could charge McDonald’s locations up to $300 every 15 minutes depending on how damaged the machine was. McFlurries retail at around $4.50, so it would take selling over 66 McFlurries for a franchise owner to break even on just 15 minutes of repair costs — and that’s not even including the cost of ingredients.
Did the broken ice cream machines affect business at McDonald’s?
McDonald’s reputation eventually became synonymous with its broken ice cream machines, which subjected the brand to some light teasing from competitors. In September, Wendy’s launched its new “Frosty Fix” campaign poking fun at McDonald’s dairy malfunctions.
Wendy’s food trucks covered with witty phrases like “honk if you like reliable desserts” hit the streets and are likely “coming to a broken ice cream machine near you.”
Posts on the chain’s official Instagram show the trucks pulling up outside of various McDonald’s locations, because “there’s no problem a Frosty can’t fix.” (Broken McFlurry machines included.)
Wendy’s even partnered with McBroken, a website created by software engineer Rashiq Zahid in 2020, to show customers the nearest Wendy’s in case their local ice cream machine is down.
Only time will tell if up-and-running McFlurry machines will further fuel the McDonald’s v.s. Wendy’s food-feud.