In our time, going to the checkout to order a Big Mac is now very outdated.
McDonald's has finally decided to keep up with the modern era and has begun pilot testing a mobile app that allows customers to order the food of their choice from their mobile phone at the restaurant or drive-through locations.
As of Wednesday, 29 restaurants in Monterey and Salinas, California, have begun accepting mobile ordering and payment through the McDonald's app.
McDonald's plans to expand the pilot testing program to 51 more restaurants in Spokane, Washington on March 20, then to 14,000 more restaurants in the U.S. and then to about 6,000 restaurants across Canada, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia by the end of the year.
While you might think it's about time, finalizing the logistics for mobile ordering and payments for a fast-food franchise as large as McDonald's isn't as easy as it sounds.
Jim Sappington, McDonald's executive vice president of business and technology, says they are redesigning the kitchens with the goal of speeding up orders and giving customers an experience that is "clearly better."
They think about everything from meal preparation time to ensuring the food isn't cold, to ensuring customers don't have to wait too long for their orders when they arrive to pick them up. "We shouldn't let that affect the speed or quality of our meals," says Sappington.
