McDonald's 'Experience of the Future'

Nevin Barich

LOS ANGELES , May 8, 2018 (Off The Menu) – Last week, I walked into a McDonald’s in Calabasas, California, and got a look at the future.

Seriously, that’s what McDonald’s is calling it: The “Experience of the Future.” During the company’s recent first-quarter earnings call, CEO Steve Easterbrook highlighted the fact that since the start of 2018, the burger chain had modernized nearly 1,000 of its U.S. locations, with plans to continue the pace every quarter.

"This is an aggressive pace," Easterbrook said during the earnings call. "One thousand projects would be like modernizing every McDonald's restaurant in Australia, and we're doing that each and every quarter."

The modernization includes installing ordering kiosks, adding curbside pickup in some locations, and improving the drive-thru experience. The initiative works in tandem with the company's improvements on the digital side, including mobile ordering and payment, as well as delivery in a growing number of stores.

I saw some of these features firsthand in Calabasas. When I walked in, I was immediately drawn to the ordering kiosks in the center of the store, which offered customers the chance to “skip the line” if they wanted to pay with a credit card and just pick up their food at the counter when it’s ready. In addition, the menu behind the cash registers was digitized and quickly rotated its list of menu items and combo meals every 10 seconds or so.

Finally, as I walked back outside I passed by the drive-thru area and noticed that in addition to your order being shown on a separate screen, it appears on the outdoor menu itself, which is also digitized.

Easterbrook is calling changes like these “one of the most significant transformations in our history.” Can’t say I disagree. McDonald’s is diving headfirst into the future.

Nevin Barich is the Food and Beverage Analyst for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. We invite you to come take a look at our service. Call us today at 310-553-0008 and we’ll schedule you for a 15-minute demo.

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