You May Be Disappointed With Your McFlurry In Australia. Here's Why
There's nothing worse than going to McDonald's for a McFlurry only for them to tell you that the ice cream machine is broken. It happens so many times it's turned into a widely shared meme on social media, but as it turns out, McDonald's Australia never has that issue, and the reason may surprise you.
According to Buzzfeed, none of the McDonald's locations in Australia have McFlurry machines at all, despite the fact that they still serve McFlurries. This means that you'll never have to hear a McDonald's employee give you the bad news that their machine isn't working that day, but it also means all of the McFlurrys in Australia are hand-stirred, not machine-flurried, and of course, no more signature McFlurry spoon either.
Business Insider reported that even though the Australian version looks like a lazy, unfinished McFlurry, it's entirely by design, and due to an entire brand overhaul that occurred in 2015. In an open letter to "Maccas" — Australia's nickname for McDonald's — Buzzfeed reporter Jemima Skelley explained that the change basically turned the McFlurry into "just a cup of soft serve with a small amount of topping," rendering it no different than a sundae.
However, regardless of these publicized complaints, an official McDonald's spokesperson reassured Buzzfeed, "You will be pleased to know our McFlurry is still as popular as ever."
The Australian McFlurry was made to be convenient for staff
It may have taken Australians a few years to get used to, if at all, but McDonald's Australia still insists that it was a necessary and beneficial change that had more to do with the kitchen staff than the customers. "The machines took up considerable space in our kitchens, so the decision was made that they would be hand stirred — with love — by our crew," McDonald's Australia told Buzzfeed. Considering the machines are responsible for the flurry part of the McFlurry, McDonald's Australia made sure to also mention, "If you like yours a little more 'flurried', let the crew know and they will be sure to give it a more vigorous stir."
Taking it upon herself to visit McDonald's and request for her McFlurry to be extra "flurried," Buzzfeed Australia's Jemima Skelley confirmed that McDonald's Australia does not actually do this. In fact, she visited multiple McDonald's where the McFlurries weren't even stirred to begin with. Though this ice cream treat no longer lives up to the name "McFlurry," it's just the reality of the McDonald's Australia menu now. If you like your McFlurrys flurried rather than stirred, your best bet is to just wait for the machines in the American McDonald's to start working again.