McDonald's charging for extra ketchup at some locations

Manhattan McDonald's charging up to 25 cents more for extra ketchup packets

NEW YORK – Some McDonald's restaurants in New York have started charging a fee for extra ketchup, according to a report in DNAinfo New York.

The publication found that at least 15 McDonald's restaurants in Manhattan charged customers for extra ketchup -- up to 25 cents.

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"We want to control condiment cost," one New York McDonald's manager told the publication.

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Her location gives people one to four packets with their meals, depending on the size of their order. After that, they have to pay a quarter for a handful of extra packets. The location began implementing the fee in 2011 after seeing a lot of unopened packets in the trash.

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When asked about the fee, some franchise owners pointed to real estate and utility prices, an increasing overhead and a tough economy.

The franchisees can charge fees for extra ketchup or other condiments and services as needed, according to a McDonald's spokesperson.

The McDonald's locations in New York pay the same price for ketchup from the supplier, just under 1.5 cents per ketchup packet, DNAinfo said.

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At least for now, the charge appears to be limited to McDonald's locations south of Central Park