Free soft drink refills Sydney?

Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 12:05

Is there anywhere in Sydney (CBD preferably) that still does free soft drink refills?!

Having lived in California for a while, I'm addicted to soft drink refills. I don't know what I love about post mix diet coke, but it's my drug of choice.
Within the last six months, Hungry Jacks has taken out all its free refill machines in the CBD locations. I'm sad. I used to love sitting at Wynyard enjoying litres of my chosen poison, and now I can't. I know you can go to the counter and ask for a refill, but this seems to only apply as one refill. Whenever I ask for a second, I get funny looks or no refill.

I've also just ditched our Costco membership because they never reliably stocked the things we liked to buy, and it was too far to drive to walk away with only a slice of pizza and a gut full of the old fizzy black gut rot.

Any ideas?!

Find Me A Bargain

Comments

  • retiredfeline on 17/01/2014 - 12:18
    -2

    I think Ikea allow you unlimited refills of fizzy? Not in CBD though. Lucky you drink diet.

    • Briefcase Mong on 18/01/2014 - 18:18

      Pizza Hut george street, I think quite a few Subway restaurants have refills

    • kwaker on 18/01/2014 - 21:03

      IKEA has strange soft drinks. I don't think it has coke though, or does it?

      • Hoju on 18/01/2014 - 21:06
        +1

        Yeh it has normal and diet cola as well as the orange and lingonberry. The diet cola is really odd though. Almost herbal or something?

        • kwaker on 19/01/2014 - 21:52
          +1

          Cola not coke. I don't know why but I get a serious addiction to coke. Not with Pepsi or other cola.

          I ask people do they like coke, and never had someone say no.

          I ask why they like coke. They say they taste I guess.

          I ask can you actually remember the taste, describe it - people usually realize at this point, you can't remember the taste coke. It makes you feel good and want more. You can drink more coke than any other drink. I know someone that drinks 10 litres a day.

          Coke is worse than drugs to me - I have no other addictions.

  • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 12:21
    +1

    Ah yes sometimes I hit Ikea, but their 'diet cola' tastes pretty weird.
    I know there are issues with artificial sweeteners, but I think the FDA states something like the equivalent of 40 cans a day are required to be harmful.

    • mafmouf on 17/01/2014 - 13:58
      +11

      40 cans?!?!? How do they even test that.

      At Diet Coke HQ
      Scientist: "So Barry, looks like you handled 39 cans without issue yesterday…"

      • retiredfeline on 17/01/2014 - 14:09
        +5

        Determine the harmful dose to Barry the lab rat, multiply by the human/rat factor then divide by a safety factor? :)

  • neil on 17/01/2014 - 12:21

    TGIFridays.

    You can get Buy 1 Get 1 free main meal through the Entertainment Book as well.

    • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 12:34

      Looks promising, haven't been out to the mac centre for a while either!

      • minniethemoocher on 17/01/2014 - 15:35
        +1

        Yes but one soft drink costs $4.75!!!!!!!!!!!

  • humdingaling on 17/01/2014 - 13:50
    +1

    though i dont think its meant to be free refills
    subway still has those self serve machines

    • IanPlatypus on 18/01/2014 - 09:50

      the one near us just says limit 1 free refil.
      Rest is charged at 50c I think

    • Hoju on 20/01/2014 - 08:09

      True! Happened to use the ent book coupon for subway on Clarence st yesterday and they had free refills.
      Good times

  • kolorijo on 17/01/2014 - 14:00

    have you try HJ Pitt St? The last time I went there (boxing day), they still have it

    and

    HJ Ashfield paramatta road still has it as well

    • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 14:04
      +1

      Hey might have to try Pitt street! Most of the second half of last year they had a sign saying out of order, which I figured was code for no more free stuff.
      Thanks!

      • benyboy on 17/01/2014 - 17:08

        Pitt Street refill machine is not gonna be back in service, they put a promo sign to try and cover it up haha ive seen ppl lift up the poster and hope its working sadly not cause i usually go there for my HJ run.

        • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 18:33

          :( so very sad.

  • tonester on 17/01/2014 - 14:09

    Having lived in California for a while, I'm addicted to soft drink refills.

    why do people still buy large cups instead of small ones when refills are free? :)

    • humdingaling on 17/01/2014 - 14:19
      +4

      on the last refill before you leave you can top it up to the brim
      maximising the output of litre to kilometres ratio

      • tonester on 17/01/2014 - 14:27

        kilometres

        that's a lot of refills to walk to get :)

        • bich.light on 18/01/2014 - 09:27

          If you're also walking, go to the next HJ on the way for another refill!

          HEY OP!
          Just buy a cup and get a refill or two; then crawl to the next HJ for another refill!

        • tonester on 18/01/2014 - 10:11
          +1

          btw i was referring to the walking between the machine and your seat :)

  • stickyfingers on 17/01/2014 - 14:12

    I thought California was the healthier state…

    • Eivad on 17/01/2014 - 16:36
      +1

      In most (if not all) the States you get free soft drink refills, not only at fast food outlets, but also at restaurants and diners.

      Also food is supersized :)

      Californians love to exercise and hit the beach, so I guess you could say they're a healthier state.

  • john-davies on 17/01/2014 - 15:36

    Subway North Sydney's 2 stores have unlimited, free Refills.

    Subway WoyWoy has free refills.

    • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 18:34

      Oh my. Thank you for that. Very local, very peaceful place too.
      New hideaway :)

  • 1ch1go on 17/01/2014 - 16:58

    Outback Steakhouse has free refill of soft drinks for $4.95. There's one in North Strathfield.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2014 - 19:57

    Sucks that they've stopped doing the free refills in the city :/ I live out in the suburbs right across the road from a Hungry Jacks. Free refills… and I've got a diet coke addiction also lol. It's heaven.

    Just watch your teeth with all that fizzy consumption. There's no sugar to rot the teeth but it's still highly acidic due to the carbonation.

    But who cares when it tastes so good, right :P

    • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 20:00

      Haha yeh my dentist pleaded with me to at least swish out with some water afterwards.
      Probably a good idea.

    • retiredfeline on 17/01/2014 - 20:14

      Carbonated water is hardly "highly acidic", it's actually a weak acid. Exercise caution but same as with other acidic drinks, e.g. orange juice, fruit drinks.

      • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 20:20

        Yeh but diet coke isn't carbonated water?

        "In a widely cited 2007 study by the Academy of General Dentistry, the pH of Regular Coca Cola is 2.52.
        Compare that to Diet Coke which has a pH of 3.28."

        My dentist got it wrong. He told me diet coke had a ph of 2.5, but that's the regular full sugar stuff.
        Win for me!

        • retiredfeline on 17/01/2014 - 20:26

          Of course it's carbonated water, which is just carbon dioxide dissolved in water.

        • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 20:27

          Yes but diet coke has other things in it.
          That's like saying cordial is water.

        • retiredfeline on 17/01/2014 - 20:30

          Yes but we are interested in the properties of carbonic acid and your teeth not the flavour. Cordial is water too but if you concerned about sugar then water is not the subject of concern.

        • Hoju on 17/01/2014 - 20:31

          Ohhhh i just read the original bit you were referring to. NEeded a quote in there.
          ie. this statement "There's no sugar to rot the teeth but it's still highly acidic due to the carbonation"
          is not correct.

          stupid rabbit holes :)

        • serideth on 19/01/2014 - 20:58

          Fun fact. Diet Coke has around twice the caffeine of normal or Coke Zero

        • [Deactivated] on 19/01/2014 - 21:20

          Australian caffeine levels (per 100mL) in:
          - regular coke: 9.7mg
          - diet coke: 12.8mg
          - coke zero: 9.6mg

          That ain't "twice the amount"…

        • Hoju on 20/01/2014 - 08:11

          Gee that's interesting. So coke zero is probably a good alternative. Not always a fan of the shakes / diuretic effect of the caffeine…

        • [Deactivated] on 20/01/2014 - 13:21

          Coke Zero tastes more like Pepsi to me. The sweetness is different… too sweet actually. Diet Coke has a more metallic taste. I like that. /weirdo

      • [Deactivated] on 17/01/2014 - 20:34
        +1

        hmm I think I've got things confused. Cheers for pointing that out. The acidity concern isn't directly due to the carbonation, it's the addition of phosphoric acid in the cola, right?

        • retiredfeline on 17/01/2014 - 20:38

          Well yes, that's another factor in cola drinks.

        • cannedhams on 19/01/2014 - 14:48

          Carbon dioxide dissolved in water forms carbonic acid.

          Your body actually uses this mechanism to regulate the pH of your blood (bicarbonate buffering system). Its why you tend to breathe more slowly after a large meal.

      • WT on 21/01/2014 - 11:47

        Rinsing helps, also drinking out of a straw aims more at the throat which means less is spread around the mouth

  • sachz on 18/01/2014 - 00:23

    Sizzler Restaurants still have unlimited refills!

    • Hoju on 18/01/2014 - 06:42
      +8

      Oh my what a nice person. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?
      Did you miss the word 'diet' - unless they have an effective denticare scheme in place, I can't imagine wasting any of your precious tax dollars

      None of your business, but my BMI is 21 and I cycle over 100km a week and walk close to 30.

      Please let me know when you're a perfect person with no vices or flaws… but judging by your comment, that's not going to happen.

    • Hoju on 18/01/2014 - 07:06

      Yeh or the alternative view for you to take is that maybe it's something I like to do once a week, twice at most.
      To sit down and have a shitload of soft drink and watch the world go by.

      It's relaxing, puts a smile on my face. You should try it.

      • [Deactivated] on 18/01/2014 - 18:39
        +1

        We should be BFF.

        I love how people can verbally abuse people who drink soft drink or, in this case, diet soft drinks lol, yet countless threads are posted here promoting cheap booze and no-one bats an eye.

        I certainly don't think my diet soft drink addiction is healthy or wise, but with a BMI of 16.7 (female, asian genetics), I can't help but laugh at the "HEY FATTY WHATS YOUR BMI, U LAZY FATASS" comments to these sorts of topics. lulz

        • random101 on 18/01/2014 - 19:13

          Well I'll have to find those people me thinks :P

          I was just trying to prepare us for an alien invasion :(
          but on the flip side if we have a zombie outbreak I like my odds :)

        • Scrooge McDuck on 19/01/2014 - 09:07
          +5

          GUYS WE GOT A REAL GIRL HERE, WOOP WOOP WOOP!!!

        • cannedhams on 19/01/2014 - 14:49

          One with a pretty good BMI too.

  • random101 on 18/01/2014 - 07:10

    :) fair enough then, carry on…

    • Hoju on 18/01/2014 - 07:20
      +5

      That's what i'm trying to do but the damn machines keep disappearing!
      :(

  • grasstown on 18/01/2014 - 16:09

    i always found the whole 'fountain' preference over cans or bottles in the US baffling

  • letthiswork1 on 18/01/2014 - 17:56
    +1

    You can always go to the all you can eat Pizza Hut on george street..

    then you can have pizza DESERTS and UNLIMITED drinks :D

  • Shwayne on 18/01/2014 - 18:54
    +1

    I think the move away from unlimited soft drink is a health and cost related one.

    Sometimes I would just drink a significant amount of soft drink as a kid because I perceived it as better value.

    Also not to mention, any place that had unlimited refills in the past year typically had their carbonated water ratio ridiculously high.

    I actually went to a HJ's that had it so high that I went to the counter and told them the machine was out of syrup for coke, they checked and they told me it was quite full still. :\

    • Hoju on 18/01/2014 - 21:10
      +1

      Definitely cost, but would HJs really care about their public health responsibilities in offering unlimited sugars?

      Perhaps not even cost. A pub I used to work in said post mix soft drink cost them about 20 cents a litre. That's a lot of refills given a large cup is >$3 at HJs! (Assuming that cost still applies today)

      • RI4V4N on 19/01/2014 - 10:00

        HJs do care if it effects their public image.

      • Shwayne on 19/01/2014 - 13:48

        If a countries culture changes to move away from certain bad practices, companies often identify them and follow suit.

        I doubt it's a cost thing, but rather to cull abuse.

      • nickster9999 on 19/01/2014 - 18:32

        It can't be cost - post mix is like a few cents per cup. It's just Australia….. screw people for as much money as possible. I had breakfast in Newtown this morning and my small pot of tea was $5.50!

        • [Deactivated] on 19/01/2014 - 20:50

          But they will make a lot more money by forcing you to buy a whole new drink (rather than, say, buy a small cup and just refill it ad infinitum).. and encourage us to buy a large cup if we're thirsty.

          Maybe the cost of repairs and maintenance of those self-serve machines was too much, as well? The ones I've seen seem to break down or have parts not working rather often. Wouldn't be surprised if they'd constantly have issues from kids or careless adults handling them roughly (if that can even be done to a soft drink dispenser lol).

          Who knows. Maybe they were massive bug magnets… warm havens coated in sticky, sweet syrup and the salty grease off people's fingers smeared all over the buttons. Roach city? (aaaand I think I've just put myself off any post mix soft drinks again, ever)

  • dkausa on 18/01/2014 - 19:56

    You could try one of the Star Buffet's if you want to add a large meal to numerous soft drink refills. With the soft serve machine you could even have all you can eat/drink spiders!

    Though they are more greater sydney…there is one in Gosford Leagues, Penrith RSL, and I think Bankstown too.

    • Hoju on 18/01/2014 - 21:07
      -1

      Wow never heard of star buffet until now! Seems quite impressive, shame about the locations, soo far away!

      • donga100 on 18/01/2014 - 21:47

        I thought the Star had free soft drinks on the main gaming floor if you signed up for a free membership card?

        • [Deactivated] on 18/01/2014 - 21:48
          +1

          Star Buffet and The Star are different :P

  • TheMoDz on 18/01/2014 - 22:46

    Yea when I was in US for 2 weeks.
    Its like a law in California to have free refills, IT WAS EVERYWHERE@!!!.
    crazy…

  • mousie on 19/01/2014 - 11:00

    Go to any pub or VIP gaming room and pretend to play the pokies for 3 minutes.
    BAM free soft drinks

  • andyman1908 on 19/01/2014 - 16:54

    I thought wynyard station hjs still had it? I never eat in so dont know for certain but thought they did when I went last week.

    • Hoju on 20/01/2014 - 08:13

      If they do it is very very small!

  • nobro25 on 20/01/2014 - 10:59

    Why not try Subway, I always get free refills at the one in Mac Centre.

  • Tech5 on 20/01/2014 - 11:07
    +4

    Any place with self serve machines means free refills to me. If I can get at the machine behind the counter, then that also counts as self serve.

  • ExtraSalt on 20/01/2014 - 14:18

    this comment will not be useful at all lol.

    ahh, one of the best things about dining in America haha. free refills pretty much everywhere, and staff are so prompt on it too. Hard RockSF and Hard Rock NYC were so on the ball with that. they even asked us if we wanted a different type.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/01/2014 - 17:07
    +1

    Excess drink consumption could be a symptom of Diabetes, I would get that checked out!

  • [Deactivated] on 20/01/2014 - 23:28

    Personally I would take this opportunity of yours to break the habit. When I was at Costco, I would keep the cup in my bag and bring it back for free drinks next time round.

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