MCDONALD’S is in the middle of making some massive updates to its restaurants nationwide.
Each of its over 43,000 locations is getting improved technology this year to help efficiency and the customer experience.
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That tech includes artificial intelligence-equipped drive-thru lanes and tools for managers, along with kitchen equipment connected through one system, per what Brian Rice, chief information officer at McDonald’s, told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month.
Rice said the company found that restaurants were becoming “very stressful” for workers due to overwhelmed and outdated systems, causing incorrect orders or broken machines.
“We have customers at the counter, we have customers at our drive-through, couriers coming in for delivery, delivery at curbside — that’s a lot to deal with for our crew,” he explained.
“Technology solutions will alleviate the stress.”
Pursuit of these improvements has been underway since the end of 2023, when McDonald’s sought to implement Google Cloud for edge computing at its restaurants.
Edge computing allows McDonald’s to look at data from its kitchen equipment and other electronic systems on-site rather than having it sent to a specific location like a data center for analysis.
Companies typically move to edge computing to improve efficiency, plus it’s often cheaper.
Not to mention, a major advantage for McDonald’s with edge computing is that it lets them know when kitchen equipment is getting worn down and might break soon to avoid order delays or an item having to be temporarily removed from the menu.
GETTING ORDERS RIGHT
According to Rice, sensors are being installed at locations on the kitchen equipment that will instantaneously feed information to the edge computing system.
This allows for a “real-time” viewpoint into the states of any given location’s operations.
He said this would be a specific help for its McFlurry ice cream machines.
The machines are infamous among customers for breaking down frequently.
With McDonald’s including artificial intelligence in the upgrades, it can immediately analyze the data picked up from the sensors and notify staff of a potential maintenance issue.
Other AI advances McDonald’s is considering include computer vision, typically a facial-recognition based AI, but used instead in cameras to detect and analyze orders to ensure their accuracy before customers get them.
Fast Food meal deals
Here are some of the current value meals offered by popular fast food joints.
Taco Bell’s $7 Luxe Cravings Box:
- Chalupa Supreme
- Beefy Five-Layer Burrito
- Double Stacked Taco
- Chips and nacho cheese sauce
- Medium drink
McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal:
- McDouble or McChicken sandwich
- Four-piece Chicken McNuggets
- Small fries
- Small soft drink
Wendy’s $5 Biggie Bag:
- Junior Bacon Cheeseburger or Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Four-piece chicken nuggets
- Junior fries
- Small soft drink
Burger King’s $5 Your Way Meal:
- Whopper Junior, Chicken Junior, or Bacon Cheeseburger
- Fries
- Four-piece chicken nuggets
- Soft drink
“If we can proactively address those issues before they occur, that’s going to mean smoother operations in the future,” Rice told WSJ.
AI TAKEOVER
AI in the drive-thru is also moving forward, similar to recent decisions from competitors like Wendy’s.
McDonald’s has had voice-activated drive-thru tech since 2019 through International Business Machines, but ended its partnership last year.
The fast food giant even seeks to use AI to assist staff as a “generative AI virtual manager,” per Rice.
That way the AI can make scheduling changes and select administrative decisions for managers, freeing them up to handle other responsibilities.
Customers could also start directly experiencing the impact of the AI updates at McDonald’s soon through the mobile app.
Rice said McDonald’s is tailoring promotional offers through AI’s analysis of previous purchase history and even considering the weather.
“A customer who we know loves our sweet treats could get an offer through the app for a McFlurry on a hot summer day,” he said.
McDonald’s hasn’t disclosed how much the tech updates cost.
CEO Chris Kempczinski also recently confirmed the creation of a new team at the fast food giant that’s “devoted” to taking on rivals like KFC.
A customer also blasted McDonald’s for an alleged 40-minute drive-thru wait, but the company had a stark response.
