McDonald’s Plans to Expand Self-Service Kiosks

Customers visiting McDonald’s may be asking themselves if they’d like fries with their order, as the Golden Arches is planning to expand their self-service kiosks to thousands of stores.

McDonald’s is giving customers more ways to order, with the fast food chain announcing on Monday its plans to roll out self-service kiosks to 1,000 stores every quarter for the next two years, according to CNBC.

“What we’re finding is when people dwell more, they select more. So there’s a little bit of an average check boost,” Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook said, adding that stores in the U.S. “have got a bit tired looking, so part of this is also about having a much fresher, more inviting restaurant.”

The kiosks, which are already in roughly 3,500 stores in the U.S. and will expand their growth to about half of U.S. stores by 2020, allow customers to browse the menu, customize their order, pay, and request table service. The self-service kiosk program is currently more advanced in Australia, Canada, and the UK, while locations like Germany and France are getting ready to introduce the technology.

The fast food chain is also reportedly looking into delivery options as well as mobile ordering, expanding the ways in which customers can order, and likewise making the ordering process more customizable and easy for guests.

“If you think about only two years ago, if you were a customer there were two ways you can get served at McDonald’s. You walked to the front counter and line up and take your drink and find a table or you go through the drive through,” Easterbrook said. “We’re introducing many options. They can order through mobile, they can come curbside and we’ll run it out as well as the existing traditional ways. You can pay in different ways and customize your food in different ways. I think we’re trying to add more choice and variety.”

News of the kiosk expansion comes as McDonald’s leads a turnaround of recovering lost customers. In recent months, the Golden Arches has introduced a revamped Dollar Menu, which allows customers to order from the $1 tier, the $2 tier, and the $3 tier, and in an effort to keep up with competitors like Wendy’s, the fast food chain has reintroduced fresh beef patties.

There have also been moves to cater to those with special diets, with the introduction of the McVegan Burger. The mega successful burger was introduced to stores in Finland and Sweden. Meanwhile, in the U.S., McDonald’s has begun an approach to make their meals healthier, cutting down on the sodium, sugar, and calories in the Happy Meal.