Napkins

[Alan Mendelson]

I realize that restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, need to control their costs. At several McDonald's restaurants I see signs that limit say the number of packs of condiments are limited and there is an extra charge if you go over the prescribed amount. I can understand that.

Are the restaurants also limiting napkins to save money?

In the good old days there were napkin dispensers at the tables and at the soda dispenser.

Then napkin dispensers were limited to the counter where a cashier can see how many you take.

Now, napkins are placed on your tray with your order. Don't expect too many napkins. Maybe one, or two.

It gets worse at the drive-thru. Sometimes I don't get any napkins and I have to ask for a napkin. This isn't just with McDonald's -- the napkinless drive-thru happens at McDonald's and Burger King and Carl's Junior and Jack 'N The Box too.

Are the drive-thrus napkinless on orders from management? Or are the drive-thrus napkinless because the kids working the drive-thrus don't use napkins themselves?

I know the owner of 8 McDonald's franchises and she told me is also angered when she doesn't get napkins going through the drive-thrus at her restaurants.

[alpax]

I developed the habit of asking for napkins if I ever go to a fast food joint (I try to limit that due to health reasons)

It has been at least 4 years now that sauces at chick-fil-a and McD are now 50 cents for anything extra, and extra ingredients cost 15 cents (including Burger King).

I will check out Wendy's next time.

I was going to write something up for this part of the forum, need to finish it up and will be posted soon.