Free Refills - free refills of soft drinks in cafes
In the United States, there is a culture of free refills of tea, coffee or soda in cafes and restaurants. But the client must buy at least one cup or glass of hot or cold drink, which will be refilled. In some catering establishments, among the tables in the hall there are machines for free refilling of soft drinks. In US restaurants, these unique customs attract guests and customers. The main purpose of free refills is to increase the sales of the restaurants themselves. Americans really love drinks.
The history of this tradition dates back to 1988, when the Taco Bell cafe chain, owned by the famous cola manufacturer PepsiCo, included free refills as a standard of customer service to increase brand awareness. You won't find anything like this in cafes and restaurants in the CIS countries. The same can be said for Germany, where you will be asked to pay even for topping up regular water.
However, there are many critics of the free refill system within the US. For example, politicians in the states of New York and Massachusetts proposed banning it to combat obesity in the country. As you know, 1 liter of Coca-Cola contains 100 grams of sugar.
Source: Telegram channel “Business in America”
