Yea, after the syrup is remixed it's estimated that McD's sells hundreds of millions of gallons of Coke products a year. It's def something you have a dedicated executive team to make sure everything is working smoothly.
I read that the syrup is stored in these special tanks, and when it's mixed with the carbonated water, it comes out as the best tasting, freshest Coca-Cola you can get. It's always tasted amazing at McDonald's. Almost like bottled Coke.
Supposedly McDonald’s is the only business that gets the syrup distributed in metal kegs. Everyone else gets the plastic bags, which could lead to some taste difference.
I am pretty sure I could blind taste test canned vs bottled soda.
Definitely depends on the store in my experience (Aus), I think some may not maintain their machines as frequently/well, or maybe even deliberately watered down. Glass bottle Coke is the best coke imo.
I assume no sarcasm either whether or not you completely approve of the business. There must be a very significant team associated with a global business at that scale.
To go on a tangent: lots of people even like to think back nostalgically to the time when bankers were at the golf course by 3pm. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-6-3_Rule
(I don't agree, but it's a popular enough sentiment.)
