McDonald’s has initiated a technology overhaul at its 43,000 restaurants, incorporating internet-connected kitchen equipment and AI-driven tools for managers, The Wall Street Journal reports.
McDonald’s chief information officer Brian Rice told the publication that the fast-food giant aims to rectify common issues, such as equipment malfunctions and order inaccuracies.
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Rice stated: “Our restaurants, frankly, can be very stressful. We have customers at the counter, we have customers at our drive-through, couriers coming in for delivery, delivery at kerbside. That’s a lot to deal with for our crew. Technology solutions will alleviate the stress.”
McDonald’s seeks to bolster its customer base, particularly among low-income diners and families.
By enhancing the dining experience with technology, the company aims to increase membership of its loyalty programme from 175 million to 250 million by 2027.
In late 2023, McDonald’s partnered with Google Cloud to use edge computing, enabling on-site data processing for greater efficiency, especially in areas with poor cloud connectivity.
Edge computing enables predictive maintenance for kitchen equipment.
Suppliers of the fast-food chain are also fitting sensors to equipment, providing franchisees with real-time operational insights.
McDonald’s is exploring computer vision – a type of AI that is behind facial recognition tech – to ensure order accuracy before customer handoff.
Rice added: “If we can proactively address those issues before they occur, that’s going to mean smoother operations in the future.”
The rollout of edge computing began in some US outlets in 2024, with plans to expand throughout 2025. It will assist restaurant managers with in-store operations.
The exact number of restaurants currently equipped with this tech and the completion timeline have not been disclosed.
The potential to leverage edge computing will enhance voice AI at the drive-through, a feature McDonald’s is exploring in collaboration with Google’s cloud computing division.
McDonald’s has been trialling voice-activated drive-throughs and robotic fryers since 2019 and in 2024 concluded a partnership with International Business Machines to test automated order-taking.
McDonald’s also aims to develop a “generative AI virtual manager” to handle administrative tasks such as shift scheduling.
The technology overhaul news comes as McDonald’s reported a net income of $2.02bn for Q4 of 2024, a 1% decrease on a constant currency basis from the same period of the previous year.
Total revenues in Q4 2024 stood at $6.38bn as compared to $6.40bn in Q4 2023.
US sales fell by 1.4% in Q4 2024.
