I always recommend bringing you own travel mug to a coffee shop.
Most chains will happily fill it for you in lieu of one of their disposable cups and many will even give you a small discount.
You save money and do your part to help save the environment. Plus, your coffee stays hot longer in a real travel mug.
And if you use a ceramic travel mug like one of these big 20 ounce tumblers, your coffee just tastes better than it does from a paper cup. It may just be my imagination, but don’t you find the same?
So obviously, if so many cafes and other places that sell coffee, like Tim Hortons, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, allow outside tumblers and even provide a discount to those who use them, McDonald’s must do the same.
Not so fast.
Will McDonald’s Fill My Travel Mug?
Unfortunately, there is no way to know. Some branches will and some won’t.
There does not seem to be a standard corporate policy, leaving it up to each individual franchise owner, whether to accept your tumbler or not.
The only way to know is to try. Take your personal to go cup to your local McDonald’s and ask.
One thing I can guarantee: they will not give you a discount. I have never heard of a McDonald’s branch giving customers discounts for using their own reusable tumblers.
Taking you own mug to McDonald’s will help the environment, but it will not help your wallet. Nevertheless, it is still worth it, just for the better insulation. As long as your McDonald’s is one of the branches that is amenable to this.