19 Fast-Food Workers Revealed What Really Goes on Behind the Counter

Fast food is often an easy and delicious solution for those days when we don’t feel like cooking, or simply want to treat ourselves. Behind every order, there are employees who have discovered tricks and secrets of the most famous chains, and now they share them with the rest of the people.

• Employees do get free food, but only inside the restaurants. If they want to take something home, they must pay for it like the rest of the clientele.
• Soda tastes different at McDonald’s. A branch manager revealed that the amount of syrup in the soda is increased so that the flavor is preserved even when the ice melts.
• Despite the myth, small, medium, and large potato chip packages can not fit the same amount. There really is a difference between the different sizes, and some employees have taken it upon themselves to prove it.
• The burger bun is not toasted in a toaster or on a grill, but goes through a vertical machine where the slices are placed in the middle of plates and come out toasted after a few seconds.

• All machines make noises to alert employees when products are ready or if a problem needs their attention. That’s why beeping sounds are heard all the time.
• The McFlurry spoon, which looks like a useless straw, is actually designed to fit perfectly into a particular machine that makes it spin to mix the ice cream.
• Ice cream machines don’t usually work in fast-food restaurants. It’s not because employees don’t are too lazy to prepare them, but rather, despite proper cleaning, the machines have small parts that break, and the employees are not trained to repair them.
• Much of the food these fast-food chains serve is only heated and not prepared on the spot. That’s why it’s common to see large buckets of frozen food in kitchens. Still, each franchise may have its own way of working. Some stores still make, for example, fresh rolls from scratch.

• Another common myth is that the machines are not cleaned frequently. But it is actually part of their policy to clean all machines where food is made daily after closing.
• Although much of the food is frozen, the vegetables are usually fresh. New vegetables are washed and cut daily. In addition, they have special cutters so that they do not have to do it by hand, and the work is much faster.
• For the condiments, chains use containers that may seem impractical because of their size. But in reality, these containers are designed to pour the exact amount of toppings to ensure that you always get the same seasoning no matter which branch you visit.
• Soda machines are connected through hoses to boxes that contain bags with different flavors. When a flavor runs out, employees have to change the entire box, which is usually a bit difficult as they are quite heavy.

• In several establishments, the cash register screens are connected to other screens in the kitchen so that the employees can see what is being ordered at that very moment and start preparing it. That’s why orders usually go out so quickly.
• Employees can hear absolutely everything that happens in your car from the moment you enter the drive-thru, even if they have not yet taken your order.
• According to the policy, if you make a mistake in your order or simply change your mind, the employees will have to make you something completely new. They can’t give someone else the order they already made, and even if they don’t mention it, they will possibly have to account for it.
• Employees often create their own recipes with the ingredients available on the menu. For example, some young employees created improvised churros with pieces of burger buns that had been fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

• Companies care deeply about how they treat their customers. In some franchises, they motivate employees to do a good deed every day and offer a discount or give away something extra if they see that someone is having a rough day.
• When there is a long line and a customer takes too long to pay, employees may use their “good deed of the day” to make the customer’s meal free to speed up the line, so they can move to the next customer.
• Although many people don’t know this, if you don’t want the drink that comes with the combo, in several places, there is the possibility of exchanging it for another accompaniment, like fries. Don’t be afraid to ask the staff.

Do you have any anecdotes of something that happened to you at a fast food place?