Many of us will know the crushing dismay of turning up to the McDonald's drive-thru, all geared up for a McFlurry, only to hear those seven terrible words: 'sorry, the ice cream machine is broken'. Fortunately, you can now make sure to prepare yourself before going out on a Maccies run, thanks to a very handy map.
This clever map shows all the McDonald's branches in the UK, and marks them according to whether or not the ice cream machine is broken in real-time. For those wondering which local branch to head to, this could mean the difference between a refreshingly chilled pud' and an icy blast of disappointment.
The smart application in question - called Mc-Broken - shows a map of the UK, dotted with little McFlurry cups to mark where each branch is located. Those with ice cream machines in full working order bear a tick, while those without had a little cross.
The map also covers KFC restaurants, helping out fried chicken fans who can't resist grabbing a little ice cream sundae with their order.
You can also use this map to hover over your area and get a sense of the percentage of working ice cream machines near you. In the Manchester area, for example, where this article is being written, 77% of restaurants have a working ice cream machine. Those heading out to the Debdale Park or Sandy Lane branches may want to reconsider their order.
The internet is filled with memes about McDonald's ice cream machines breaking down, so much so that the fast food chain has previously joined in with the banter.
Back in August 2020, McDonald's took a tongue-in-cheek response to the issue, tweeting: "We have a joke about our soft serve machine but we're worried it won't work."
In response to hungry customers who weren't laughing at the gag, McDonald's added: "Our shake and soft-serve ice cream machines undergo heat treatment cycles every 24 hrs—they're disassembled, sanitised, and cleaned every 14 days. We’re sorry for any inconvenience."
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