OAK BROOK, Ill. — McDonald’s is testing a tablet ordering system, which offers customers the option to choose their burger toppings and skip the line-up, reports The Washington Post.
Launched as a pilot last winter, the system is testing in San Diego, Calif. where customers have been experimenting with using the tablet to select buns, cheeses, sauces and toppings (such as guacamole and garlic aioli). The order is delivered to the table by an employee.
McDonald’s innovation comes at a time when the Oak Brook, Ill.-based restaurant chain saw sales drop 3.7 per cent in August. But, analysts say it might not help boost sales. “You can serve more lunches per hour, and the customers, since so many use their smartphone for just about everything, see it as more convenient,” Chuck Pinson-Rose, a credit analyst for the global Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, told the newspaper. “We’re moving toward a point where you have to have these things. … But it hasn’t gained universal acceptance yet. I don’t know if it’s really going to move the [sales] needle in a big way.” [washingtonpost.com]
