Will McDonald's sell Coke for $1 this summer? Still a rip-off

Updated

The report this week that McDonald's Corp. and Coca-Cola are pushing McDonald's indie franchises to lower the price of all sodas to $1 this summer makes little difference to consumers. At any price, we get screwed.

I know, I know. Railing against the mark-up of fountain soft drinks is as useful as being annoyed that Snooki of "Jersey Shore" is a star. It's just the way it is. It's profitable.

But I'm still going to rant. If I can make a few of you consumers think twice about ordering your fizzy sweetness to wash down a burger, then my job is done. You'll save yourself a buck, or $1.39 if McD's owners don't go along.

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), suggested that soda dispensed from a machine cascades at a 90% profit margin. That might be conservative. One former restaurant manager wrote in a blog item that his eatery sold $2.29 Cokes which actually cost 13 cents a glass to produce.

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