If you’re into sci-fi, then the new McDonald’s is for you. The first “no-human-staff” outlet is now open for business just outside Fort Worth, Texas.
It’s the first of its kind with a large conveyor belt that delivers the food and robots putting burgers together. The Texas location has introduced a new takeaway and drive-through concept that offers certain features that enhance customer experience.
McDonald’s technology
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Tinier compared to the usual McDonald’s, the location is pitched towards “take out” customers rather than those who want to dine inside.
It limits interactions between team members and customers and uses “enhanced technology that allows the restaurant team to begin preparing customers’ orders when they’re near the restaurant.”
The goal is to improve speed and accuracy where customers can pick up their meals in a drive-through “order-ahead-lane” or order at the touchscreen kiosk inside the store.
McDonald’s sees the concept as “more seamless than ever before.”
This is the latest move in McDonald’s “Accelerating the Arches” growth strategy, an innovation to improve customer experience.
In a statement to Newsweek, McDonald’s described it this way, “Inside the restaurant, there’s a delivery pick-up room for couriers to retrieve orders quickly and conveniently. There are also kiosks, where customers can place their orders to go, and a pick-up shelf for orders. Outside the restaurant, there are several parking spaces dedicated to curbside order pick-up and designated parking spaces for delivery drivers.”
McDonald’s innovation fearful?
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This “innovation” has divided people who were uncertain about the ethical impact of the change. It also drew the indignation of militants, who disapproved of the fast-food corporation’s move of installing an expensive automated restaurant rather than pay workers a living wage.
One commenter said, “Well, there goes millions of jobs,” while another added: “Honestly if they go through with this, I’ll just boycott McDonald’s, their food’s mid at best anyway.”
“This will put so many people out of work,” a more annoyed commenter said. “I’m not for it.”
According to a 2021 Institute for Policy Studies Report, most McDonald’s workers earn less than $15 an hour – far below a living wage in nearly every state of the US. It is one of 300 publicly held companies with the lowest median worker wages.
The test restaurant is making people fearful that robots and automation will one day take over jobs, replacing the need for human employees.