Burger King and Other Chains Adjust to Penny Phase-Out

Burger King is among several businesses looking to phase out pennies nationwide. Fast food restaurants have been stockpiling coins since earlier this year when President Trump ordered the Treasury Department to halt penny production.

Businessman Gary Andrzejski, who runs a Burger King in Baltimore, mentioned he has accumulated 30 boxes of pennies. “I don’t think anyone knows what they’re doing right now,” he stated.

Andrzejski noted that he has saved enough pennies to handle two months’ worth of transactions since Armored Car Service stopped delivering pennies to his store.

Some businesses that deal with frequent small cash transactions have started to either round totals or eliminate sales altogether, leading to customer dissatisfaction.

“This actually shocked me,” a customer at a Burger King in Decatur, Illinois, shared. The store displayed a sign indicating that totals would be rounded up or down to the nearest nickel, resulting in her paying $2.25 for a coffee that was priced at $2.23. Holly Elizabeth Tinervin, a 56-year-old retiree, expressed her surprise, saying, “I heard the government saying they were going to get rid of them, but I didn’t think it would happen this quickly.”

Burger King isn’t the only chain adapting to a penny-less system. Executives at Texas Roadhouse have been responding to concerns from business owners about the implications of running out of pennies or accurate tipping.

“Once you really start thinking about it, you realize it could have other impacts,” said Travis Doster, the company’s chief communications officer.

Before the phase-out, each Texas Roadhouse location reportedly used around 72,000 rolls of pennies annually. In response, Kroger stores have begun asking customers for exact change, while Sheetz is promoting charitable donations to round up bills.

Wisconsin’s Kwik Trip decided to round down to avoid potential complaints. Meanwhile, a Panda Express in Tennessee asked customers to use cards when they ran out of coins.

“What is this going to do to the people? It might be a penny, but it adds up to a lot of money,” questioned Brittany Moss, 29, after using her debit card for an $8.23 order.

Banks are also trying to adapt to the upcoming penny shortage. The American Bankers Association reported that about half of the 165 coin distribution terminals have ceased distributing pennies in the past two months. A “penny task group” has been set up to push the Federal Reserve to pause and then resume penny deposits.

In some cases, large banks are shifting coins between branches to ensure small businesses have what they need, which poses logistical challenges since $1,000 in pennies weighs around 500 pounds.