Ordering No Ice At Wendy's Can Turn Into A Drink Nightmare
Ordering drinks without ice has been considered a life hack to get more to drink at restaurants for some time now, a sort of food wives' tale of this generation. The no-ice hack picked up steam when a viral TikTok trend from 2021 claimed that if customers ordered no ice at Starbucks, customers would receive double the liquid — and essentially a free drink.
A fast food customer recently found out the hard way that asking for no ice is not always better. TikTok user @kaybrynell recorded their friend allegedly receiving a half-pour of lemonade after ordering it with no ice at a Wendy's. The lemonade video has gone viral with over 1.2 million views on TikTok, and users on the platform were quick to comment on their experiences with ice — or no ice — in their drink orders at fast food establishments.
One commenter said, "I ask for no or light ice so my drink doesn't get watered down, so I wouldn't mind." Another commenter shared that although they regularly ask for "no ice," they frequently hear employees griping about this preference. One user said they asked for a refund after being given an inadequate pour and reprimanded customer service workers for being cheap. The responses show how the policy of filling a cup without ice can also create a difficult situation for workers.
Fast food workers disagree on drink pouring policies
A number of fast food workers also chimed in on the video to provide their own opinions on what happened. Theories supplied for the meager lemonade portion include strict pouring guidelines, an automatic fill line hit by machines, and speculation that the TikTok user could be misleading viewers about how much was actually put into their drink. Not everyone agreed that underfilling drinks is a policy at Wendy's or fast food restaurants, though, so it seems there are more theories than actual explanations.
@kaybrynell Lmaooooo #fyp
"They told us to start serving drinks like this at Starbucks, until people started complaining too much," shared one user. Another user added, "I worked at Wendy's and even with no ice we had to fill it all the way." It seems there is no consensus on how to address the issue.
There are numerous reasons why a customer might want less or no ice beyond simply wanting more to drink. According to the Yale School of Medicine, a drink's temperature can change how our taste buds perceive beverages. For example, those who prefer bitter drinks may prefer lukewarm or hot temperatures over cold ones. A study published in "Nature" also explained that taste buds are enhanced by warmer temperatures, which can affect how someone perceives a drink's flavor, thus impacting a consumer's opinion of a product. Who knew that asking for no ice could be this complicated?