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Let’s face it! McDonald’s is most people’s go-to for a midnight snack. But what goes on in the kitchen once darkness sets in?
The original poster (OP), a McDonald’s nightshift worker, answers questions pondering McDonald’s lovers on Reddit. You may be surprised by some of these responses.
Why Your Local 24-Hour McDonald’s Closes When You Need It the Most!
A user asked, “Why does a 24-hour McDonald’s close for an hour when I need them most?”
The OP’s response to McDonald’s opening for 23 hours instead of 24 was “Changeover.”
According to the OP, the changeover happens around dawn when switching the menu. After the changeover, they need time to set everything up.
The Shocking Truth About Asking for Fresh McDonald’s Nuggets and Fries
“Is it ok to ask for fresh nuggs or fries? Or does it cause you to throw out food?” another user asked.
When inquired about fresh food, the OP stated, “Absolutely! You’re allowed to.”
But fresh food comes with a wait which, according to the OP, is only 3 and a half minutes.
Food only gets thrown up if it sits for too long.
Behind the Scenes of McDonald’s Drink and Ice Cream Machines
“How regularly are the drink and ice cream dispensers cleaned? Thanks for the hard work, I know it’s not easy,” remarked one user.
Broken ice cream machines always keep McDonald’s lovers on their toes, so the OP clarified that ice cream machines undergo automatic maintenance.
They shut off automatically from 4 to 11 am.
For the drink machines, maintenance is manual and carried out by a maintenance person.
Should Think Twice About Ordering McChickens at Night?
“Do you guys also have McChickens that get rock hard at night? I used to bang the spicy McChickens on the table because they were rock solid.”
McChicken cravings at night are high as that’s when they get multiple McChicken orders, says OP.
OP stated that they prepare McChickens in bulk, so some get “questionable” through the night.
You Won’t Believe How Long McDonald’s Lets Their Food Sit Out!
“What is the longest that a burger or fries will sit out before having to be replaced? In other words, worst case scenario, how old is my burger or fries?” one user asked.
OP clarifies doubts regarding food freshness by saying that fries stay out for 7 minutes and other items for 5 minutes.
If anything surpasses this time limit, it gets thrown out.
Insider Reveals Pay and Benefits for Workers
“What’s the pay and benefits like?” one user asked.
According to OP, the minimum wage is $15.50, with an extra $2.50 per hour on the wage.
The major benefit is free food which you can get at night.
The Shocking Truth About How They Really Feel About Their Job
“Do you enjoy your job?”
Like every other job, working at McDonald’s has ups and downs.
The OP says the manager and crew can really make a difference about how you feel at work.
Uncovering the Truth About Asking for Individual Toys
“Sometimes my kids want a set of toys but I don’t want to be that man asking for all the individual toys.”
If your kid wants extra toys, OP says it’s not a problem. You can pay for it.
Some toys might not be available, so it’s best to check at other branches.
McDonald’s night elves surely leave no difference in the services they provide. So after reading about McDonald’s behind night covers, is McDonald’s still your go-to midnight munching place?
Behind the Scenes With Food Quality Control
When OP was asked whether or not workers tampered with the food, he responded “No” confidently. As with any restaurant, food quality will depend on the employees.
“Not at all as far as i’m aware of. At least definitely not intentional, and not something I have done or would ever do. It’s easy to miss something in an order. But the people I work with aren’t mean or gross in which they would make food bad on purpose.”
Ordering Fast Food Through the App vs. Drive-Thru
Although OP’s McDonald’s location doesn’t have a drive-thru, he believes ordering from the McDonald’s app is quicker. However, you may be better off going to a McDonald’s with a drive-thru if the McDonald’s app is down.
“Probably the app, but that’s just a guess. My location doesn’t have a drive thru and thank god for that.”
The Nightshift Code
Maybe working at night is the secret to avoiding bad customers.
“it definitely took some time to get used to, i can tell you that much. and when you’re alone too, it’s even more prioritizing and rushing trying to get all the cleaning done. but it’s a lot less busy, most nights. Day will always have a rush but nights it’s more of a coin toss and i like those chances better.”
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This article originally appeared on Financially Well Off.
