McDonald’s is going above and beyond in the fast food industry, by trying out a new fully automated system. In which the average customer throughout their visit will have no contact with any other person. But how does it work and how likely will it make a significant change to the industry?
Well, TikTok user @foodiemunster posted a video showing off the new location near Fort Worth, Texas. It’s operated using a system of conveyor belts and touch screens, for those who have high social anxiety this is their dream. As you can order inside using the same digital system as well. The reactions to this are fairly mixed, with some saying this will eliminate the need for millions of jobs. I mean what happens if your order is wrong? Meanwhile, others say this is a great idea and will cut back on unnecessary waiting or any awkward interactions. Personally, I don’t see a problem with this. I don’t think this will be a widespread system in McDonald’s other 38000 locations across the world. But maybe ten to twenty years from now, I could see it being more popular.
It seems like they even have taken mobile orders into account, with a separate line and conveyer belt on the side. Though it does make me question how food services like DoorDash and Uber Eats will work if this were to be adopted worldwide. This isn’t the first step the fast food industry has taken into bringing fast food into the future. We’ve seen companies like Domino’s using self-driving cars to deliver amid the labor shortage.
It does feel strange seeing the inside of a fast-food place and not seeing the chaos of the kitchen. I feel like it’s taken the human element out of the equation, but as soon as they introduce a Ronald McDonald robot I’m checking out. The last thing we need is a horror movie based on the iconic clown mascot.