What Does Ice Borrowing Teach About How to Use an American Coffee Machine?

Videos and photos of McDonald's and KFC employees borrowing ice from each other went viral during a summer heat wave. A McDonald's worker pulled a half-meter-tall ice bucket to KFC and filled it, while two KFC employees later carried metal buckets to a McDonald's and waited politely. The scenes drew amused comments, including one from Laoxiangji.

Staff noted that when chain stores cluster together, ice is only one of many supplies they borrow, and the practice rests on everyday goodwill between workers. The same logic applies to how to make coffee by coffee maker at busy counters: knowing how to use an American coffee machine efficiently, and planning ice and supply output, keeps service running when demand spikes.

In the scorching heat of summer, ice cubes have become a hot commodity for food and beverage outlets. Once the ice machine can't keep up with the pace of serving, the store falls into an ice shortage. And so, McDonald's and KFC—two rivals who seem utterly incompatible—have staged heartwarming scenes of employees borrowing ice from each other. From dragging small ice buckets to ask for help, to politely waiting with large metal buckets in hand, these scenes had netizens cooing over how adorable it was—even Laoxiangji couldn't resist joining the fun in the comments. In reality, when chain brands cluster their stores together, the materials they borrow from each other daily go far beyond ice; behind it all is a plain yet genuine camaraderie and goodwill among workers.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

As everyone knows, once summer arrives, ice becomes a hot commodity. Demand for ice across brands climbs along with the temperature, and as long as the ice machine's output can't keep up with the pace of serving, stores immediately face the predicament of not having enough ice. So what can you do? Borrow from someone, of course!!!

A while back, a netizen captured a particularly heartwarming moment: a McDonald's employee, because the store's ice had run out, dragged a half-meter-tall little McIce bucket over to KFC to borrow ice, filling it to the brim before hurriedly pulling the little cart away again.

Coincidentally, last Friday a consumer also posted that they had seen two KFC employees carrying buckets to borrow ice at a McDonald's. From the photos, you can see the two employees in KFC uniforms each carrying a large metal bucket, standing a bit awkwardly beside the serving area. They first softly greeted the McDonald's front counter staff, then entered polite waiting mode, quietly waiting for the other side to give them ice—looking just like students waiting for the teacher's comments.

To most people, these two should be competitors, yet this ice-borrowing scene was so harmonious it was a little unexpected—it even drew Laoxiangji in, who directly called out in the comments: "I knew it, the CP I ship has to be real!!!"

Just as netizens were still marveling that these two "enemy brands" actually had such a harmonious relationship, many workers chimed in to say that, following the principle of "courtesy demands reciprocity—you're good to me, I'm good to you," situations like McDonald's and KFC borrowing ice from each other are actually extremely common.

In fact, for these chain brands that often open up next to each other—especially beverage-selling stores—the things they lend out day to day go far beyond ice: borrowing carts, exchanging change, borrowing rice, borrowing eggs, borrowing straws, borrowing trash bags… they've even borrowed people to help out. And as a thank-you, the employees who come to borrow materials will tactfully return the favor with ice cream, little ducks, or other tasty treats.

Of course, not all brands allow employees to casually lend out store materials like this. For example, in this back-and-forth ice-borrowing saga, Luckin seems to have failed to join the group chat. Besides that, some materials exclusively for a brand's internal use can't just be lent out because the other party has a temporary emergency—after all, every brand has its own rules and standards, and if something goes wrong, corresponding responsibility must be borne.

They say peers are rivals, but workers won't make things hard for fellow workers. After reading these seemingly plain yet heartwarming stories, you'll understand that everyone's "invisible cooperation" is actually quite close. In this lively discussion of mutual help, we as consumers haven't seen any "implacably hostile" business-war scenes—instead, it's a warm picture of employees amid the busy food and beverage industry.

Although brands are competitors, for many workers, that's just a matter between the bosses. As long as they follow the rules and ensure the store operates smoothly, no matter which brand it is, employees can actually get along in perfect harmony.

Image source: screenshots from the internet

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet; for some content on the website such as images, we will respect the original author's copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large quantity, there may be a few images and texts that we haven't yet been able to credit—please forgive us. If the original author has any dispute, they may contact the website to handle it; once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop"; please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please let us know and we will delete it. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.