McDonald's Is Prioritizing Convenience With A New On-The-Go Restaurant
Whenever you go to a fast-food restaurant, you can expect your meal to be ready relatively quickly. (It's literally in the name.) And the fast-food industry is continually finding ways to speed up the process even more.
Just look at the rise of mobile ordering, which, per QSR, has more than tripled since its debut. With that jump came even more pickup options opening up for customers, with many not even having to leave their cars, thanks to the parking spaces reserved for app users (as seen in Wendy's plans to remodel many of its stores, per its website).
Like many other industries, fast food is reshaping itself to fit into the digital world. And one of the most popular chains following this model is McDonald's. Per QSR, the chain's app accounted for nearly 60% of its sales in the first quarter. With the obvious success of McDonald's technology, the chain is responding in a big way. Get ready for a whole new era of McDonald's — all centered around your phone.
Could this be the future of fast food?
McDonald's is no stranger to success, with its worldwide collection of cafes topping $23 billion in revenue in 2021, per The New York Times. And the chain isn't planning on stopping anytime soon. Per QSR, McDonald's just introduced a new test store concept built entirely on convenience. The Fort Worth, Texas test location is designed with mobile app users in mind.
So, what exactly makes this location different? There are two big standouts. One is a drive-thru lane where customers can receive meals from a conveyor belt, and the other is an order-ahead lane. No need to wait in regular drive-thru lines — mobile users are king here.
Because this store centers itself around to-go orders, it's much smaller than other McDonald's locations, notes Nation's Restaurant News. And according to Fort Worth franchise owner Keith Vanecek, that's its strength. Vanecek told QSR that the new store will benefit both customers and employees alike as it allows for higher levels of "speed and accuracy." In the world of fast food, there's always a new upgrade waiting around the corner.