McDonald’s and their offering of ice cream cones, shakes, and McFlurries is something of a joke, because on any given day, in any given establishment, there seems to be around a 25% chance that the ice cream machine is actually working.
If you’re having a craving and thinking of running out for a late night treat, worry no more – Rashiq Zahid, a 24-year-old software engineer, has you covered.
He’s launched a web app that show which locations in the US have working ice cream machines. It works by reverse engineering the restaurant’s ordering API, so you’ll never be caught unawares again.
The app, called McBroken, came about after Zahid visited a McDonalds and was unable to get a Sundae due to the ice cream machine being down for repairs. He initially tried to create an API that would check on the availability of each location by adding a McSundae to the cart once every minute, but after it was blocked, he had to reduce the check-ins to every 30 minutes.
Image Credit: iStock
So, if the app tells you the ice cream machine is working, it was within the past 30 minutes – so cross your fingers you get there in time.
McBroken reports that around 7.8% of McDonald’s ice cream machines in the States are currently broken, with Philadelphia coming out at the top (or bottom) of the list with nearly 16% of its machines down.
I’m sorry mcdonald’s data analyst I’m afraid I’m ruining your entire mobile conversion metrics for my own personal amusement https://t.co/lYPn0Sj0eu
— rashiq (@rashiq) October 22, 2020
New York, at more than 15%, is a close second.
Not all heroes wear capes, y’all. Sometimes they create apps that will save us a drive and a bit of disappointment at the end of it.
And that’s worthwhile, too.
