What happened to the condiment dispensing machines?

Factual Questions
21

I’m not, given how often the ketchup machine is empty at the Wendy’s I go too (often enough that that’s less time than it takes me to go through a bottle of ketchup at home). Indeed, more than once (over a period of 10 years), it’s been entirely empty with no bag of ketchup in it at all and they had to go get a bag.

I see them at that Wendys and at the Arbys I go to all the time. Don’t really get condiments anywhere else, so don’t pay attention.

22

Long Johns silvers still has them.

23

There are 2 main reasons for their decline, both economic:

  • the maintenance cost of those machines. They have to be kept filled, and be cleaned constantly. People take longer to fill the little paper cups than to just take a packet, which slows down your traffic. (Also, the paper cups ain’t free. And they have no brand advertising on them, unlike the packets) Also, people tend to take more ketchup or whatever than when in packets. People leave a mess around them, which attracts insects, and more mess.

  • they are of no use to take-out customers, and that is a growing part of the business. Since you have to have the packets for take-outs, why not use them for dine-in customers, too and have one less item to stock, fill, clean up, etc. That’s why you still see them at places like CostCo, Five Guys, Arbys, etch – places where there is more dine-in customers vs. take-out.

24

You can often find them in the restrooms of seedier locations.

Oh, wait. You said condomENTS. Never mind.

25

I was going to mention ballparks. Pumps for the semi-liquids and cranks for the onions and relish. Every ballpark I’ve ever been to is rife with them.

26

Burger King and A&W restaurants (at least the ones I frequent) in Canada have ketchup pumps. A&W also got smart and made their ketchup packets about 2x~3x as big as most.

27

Heinz has also developed a “Squeeze it or dip it” packet for ketchup.

28

Phew. Thanks for sharing this. It’s nice to know its in bags.

I usually squirt the first bit into a napkin (heh) to get rid of the dried ketchup gristle and such anyway. Was always worried about what happened inside the container.