Why does Coca-Cola taste so much better at McDonald’s? A popular food scientist has the answer, It’s because they’re basically treating that cola like royalty. First off, they pre-chill everything, so it’s cooler than the other side of the pillow before you even add ice. Then, they filter the water to meet some fancy ‘gold standard’—because only the best for your taste buds, right?

While other places are pumping their soda syrup from flimsy plastic bags, McDonald’s rolls out the big guns with stainless steel tanks. It’s like they’re protecting the secret formula with Fort Knox-level security. And those straws? Forget about it. They’re like the red carpet of straws—slightly wider so you can really savor that Coke goodness.

But hey, amidst all this soda wizardry, there’s still one conundrum that keeps us up at night: why can’t they summon a hero to fix the darn ice cream machine?