McDonald’s Will Rapidly Expand Self-Service Kiosks and Mobile Ordering Services

McDonald’s is planning to rapidly expand its self-service kiosks and mobile ordering services over the next few years. The company will be updating the technology in 1,000 stores each quarter for the next nine quarters in an effort to modernize its infrastructure.

CEO Steve Easterbrook told CNBC that the only ways to order at McDonald’s two years ago was at the counter or at the drive-thru. Now customers can “pay in different ways and customize your food in different ways” as the company works to “add more choice and variety.”

The kiosks aren’t just about giving customers more choices. As Easterbrook pointed out, customers who order through the kiosks have the option to take their time when ordering. They can view the variety of options they have and select the best setup for their meal. “When people dwell more, they tend to select more,” which means the kiosks could ultimately increase sales for the company.

The same can be said about Mobile Order and Pay. Users can take their time browsing the menu on their phone and place an order that suits their needs. They can then pay using a credit card, debit card or mobile wallet, and pick up their order in the restaurant, in the drive thru or curbside.

McDonald’s already has these ordering technologies available throughout the UK, Canada, and Australia. The United States is “a little bit behind that,” but that will soon change with the aggressive upgrade strategies.