McDonalds moving forwards – touchscreens, table service and tech
McDonalds is the stuff of childhood memories.
It’s the absolutely starving, just seen the Golden Arches sign over the next hill relief. The been out all night and fancy a quick burger. The earn a quick buck, learn a whole lot, or even build a lifetime career. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s frequently found – but what it really is, is about people.
McDonalds really think about people – what they need, and what they want.
That’s what really came across when I was speaking to Mike Smith, the franchisee for McDonalds Balham, who has gone from leaving school with no qualifications to running several McDonalds stores across South London, as well as having the opportunity to travel the world and share his skills with other international McDonalds people. What other job would bring you face to face with Nelson Mandela? (OK, there are some other jobs…but most of those involve a lot of politics…).
McDonalds really doesn’t involve politics. It’s global, it’s different depending on which country you are in…but in essence it’s always the same. You get the food you want, and expect, fast. That’s always been the case, but just lately, the way things work has changed a lot – and I know this first hand, because I used to work for McDonalds myself when I was (a lot) younger, for two and a half years.
The new technology
Now when you walk into a newly refurbished McDonalds, like the Balham Restaurant, there are a lot of exciting new evolutions to take note of. McDonalds has grasped the latest technology available, and used it to create a family friendly fast food environment that really works so that no matter who you are, you can order food easily.
Table service is just one of the changes that will make a massive difference to people who choose to use it. If you’ve visited McDonalds with small children before, you may – like me – have rediscovered the meaning of the word carnage. The straws, the napkin holders, the squirty sauce machines, the numerous tables and chairs…they all add up to a small child’s world of extreme excitement. Standing around waiting to order, and then waiting for your food can now all be circumnavigated by having the freedom to instead sit down and wait for your food to be brought to you – safe in the knowledge that you actually HAVE a table for everyone to sit at calmly, and also avoiding the glares of other people queuing who aren’t keen on your enormous pushchair and fairly bouncy kids. Oh, and you don’t need to do that precarious buggy balancing tray thing either!
The way that this all works is through another new introduction – the self serve touchscreen system.
You can tap in what you want, or just browse the menu to see what’s on offer, before making your selection and then tailoring your order to your exact preferences.
No pickles in your burger? No problem. Extra cheese in your cheeseburger? Yep, you can do that too. Basically whatever you want to change about your order, you can do through the touchscreen. And it’s really easy to use – the screen guides you through the process step by step and you can tweak your order until you are happy with it, before paying via card and awaiting your food.
At this point, your food is freshly prepared for you, exactly to order, before either being brought to your table (if you chose that option at the touchscreen) or displayed as ready on the big screen of order numbers, for you to pick up yourself.
And if you DO choose table service, the staff who bring your order to you – in whichever zone you’ve selected to sit in – come equipped with an apron full of sauces so that you can be dipping and eating as soon as your food arrives. It’s a little detail, but it all makes a big difference to the speed, efficiency and satisfaction of eating at McDonalds overall.
Things don’t end there though.
How many times have you sat down to take a big bite out of a burger (my personal current favourite being the BBQ Signature Burger from the new McDonalds Signature Collection), only to be interrupted by a small child who has inexplicably already inhaled the entire contents of their Happy Meal? If like me, the answer is ‘too many to count’ then you’ll pleased to hear about the tablets that McDonalds have on offer, packed full of apps that will keep the kids entertained while you eat in peace. Or alternatively, they’ll keep you entertained as you can browse eBay, check in to your social media accounts, or simply surf the net and play a game or two. That’s if you can get to one…from what I’ve seen so far they’re incredibly popular!
McDonalds have a solution for that too – they’ve installed power sockets around the store so you can keep your own technology going if you’d prefer to use that instead 🙂
The kitchen
The kitchen has a few changes going on too, and McDonalds decided that rather than just tell me about them, they’d offer me the opportunity to try them out for myself. Yes, 17 years after I last set foot in a McDonalds kitchen I was back in a hat and apron, having a good go at crafting a BigMac from scratch. I have to admit to being quite ridiculously excited – nostalgia overload, yeah!
Which, as it turns out has changed quite a lot. First off, the completely automated incredibly clever clamshell grill, which recognises the type of patty that’s been placed on top of it and cooks it to perfection accordingly. Then there’s the toaster, which has spaces at the top for the three parts of the bun (the crown, club and heel as they are known in McDonalds speak), which pop out perfectly browned several seconds later. The sauce guns are colour coded, the lettuce, onions, cheese and pickles are all set out in the order they are required, and the surface of the assembly counter is even heated to ensure that food stays warm while it’s being prepared. Everything works perfectly, in order, to allow the people who work at McDonalds to balance speed, quality and efficiency to deliver a great experience to the people who are coming to eat there.
The Big Mac making challenge
So I made a Big Mac, and although there’s no longer the manual pressing of buttons, the ‘food on demand’ system, and frenzied beeping of machines telling you they are ready that I remember from my youth, I still have the skills, I reckon:
A photo posted by Mummy Is A Gadget Geek (@mummygadgetgeek) on
After all that exertion, we were offered the option of something to eat. Seeing as the Signature Collection isn’t available in every store, I decided to go for the BBQ Signature Burger with fries and a coke, and with its brioche bun topped with a thick 100% British and Irish beef patty, Batavia lettuce, coleslaw, red onion, a slice of natural cheddar cheese, beechwood smoked bacon and of course a decent dollop of BBQ sauce, the Signature Burger was absolutely delicious. Totally different to anything else I’ve had previously and on a par with some of the more high end gourmet burger places that I’ve been to before, too. The Signature Collection is only available in selected restaurants but I’m lucky, living near London, that several of those restaurants are feasibly near to me!
These changes aren’t available in all stores yet either, but if you have a McDonalds near you that doesn’t yet boast touchscreens, tablets, and table service then fear not – the programme is being rolled out across the country and it’s unlikely to be long before you can find out for yourself how McDonalds really have thought about people like you.
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