So will there be any corresponding drop in prices? I’m thinking not... not that I waste my money there anyway. For fast food, it’s Chick-Fil-a or nothing.

Its true tk13. Falmouth McDonalds is best I've ever been to. Those kiosks btw, are a germ fest waiting to mutate. Never touch the things. Florence, KY McDonalds actually had to hire people to show the public how to use them. I see truckers walking in from 3 Truck Stops to eat. After days of driving, scratching, picking...eeewwww. People going in and out of the swinging door shit house who dont wash. I aint touching no nasty screen after what I've seen.

I don’t mind the occasional McDonalds meal, but I have found over the last few years is that it is no longer “fast food”, and it is far from cheap anymore. A couple of times a year is all I can stand anymore. I can find a “real” sit down restaurant, that has better food, and quite often at a less expensive price point.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Its true tk13. Falmouth McDonalds is best I've ever been to. Those kiosks btw, are a germ fest waiting to mutate. Never touch the things. Florence, KY McDonalds actually had to hire people to show the public how to use them. I see truckers walking in from 3 Truck Stops to eat. After days of driving, scratching, picking...eeewwww. People going in and out of the swinging door shit house who dont wash. I aint touching no nasty screen after what I've seen.

That and snotty sick kids pressing the buttons while mom/dad holds them in their arms or just standing there, a friggin snot fest, Then again should we presume the kid behind the cash register hasn't picked a zit or his nose and wiped it on the register pad...

I think the key is an app, place the order, pay with apple pay, and drive through.

They had a McD's like the one in the picture in Lexington in the 60's off of New Circle and Winchester Road, remember going there as a kid.
It stayed that way for a long time with the owner refusing to upgrade the facilities until corporate made him....

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I like stuff like this. It's like a big 'fuck you' to the we-demand-fifteen-dollars-an-hour-for-work-that-a-trained-chimp-can-do crowd.

https://youtu.be/lsjWDtLIj9A

I suspect kiosks to replace the order takers will be the new normal in most of these places.
The service would improve by just having a touch screen and no human to mess things up.
Anyone remember Horn & Hardarts?

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
I think the key is an app, place the order, pay with apple pay, and drive through.

They actually have this now, and it's the only way to fly. On the rare occasion that I have to go to McDonald's, I use the app and they bring it out. Often much faster than the drive through. I use the Chik-fil-A app in the same manner. Love it!

The new Wendy's near me is very similar to this. There are 2 booths and about 6 chairs at a counter. Ordering is drive through or on screens near the entrance door. There is one cash register for cash transactions, and a console for a server to assist a guest who doesn't know how to handle the ordering screens.

Very efficient place.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:

Anyone remember Horn & Hardarts?

Yup.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
I suspect kiosks to replace the order takers will be the new normal in most of these places.
The service would improve by just having a touch screen and no human to mess things up.
Anyone remember Horn & Hardarts?

I remember Horn & Hardarts. It was a treat to eat there when I was a child.

I stop at 1 of 3 McD's near us a couple times a week, usually to get my teen grandson something to eat after an evening event (they are always hungry, don't you know).

First thing is, I don't do drive-thru. I want to see the people making the food and I want them to see me. Cue up Joe Pesci video.

All but 1 of the McD's have the self-ordering kiosks, but I've gotten in the habit of ordering in advance via the mobile app. Standing at the kiosks takes too long.

There have been only a couple of fuck-ups, such as when I have selected "in store pick up for take out," but when I get there only the drive-thru is open. They don't know what to do.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
You want a sit-down, nice place, go to an actual restaurant.

Hmm ….

What an interesting idea for a marketing campaign: “You want real food in a nice environment where you can sit down and relax, maybe take a break from work or traveling while you’re eating? Go someplace else. You’ll have to wait a lot longer and pay more for it, including those tips, but we don’t want your picky kind here.”

One of these ultra streamline McD’s just opened up in a beach town near me. Very sparse and industrial. Not welcoming at all.

I’m not a McD fan, but my mom wanted to check it out. She went in to order and couldn’t figure out the kiosk (she’s 75 and sucks at tech). She made a good point though, if our phones can understand what we say, why not voice recognition to order?

I'm sure McDonalds has done the math.

Extra business by having a sit down area vs the extra cost (materials, labor, cleaning, upkeep) and determined it's better to do it this way sometimes.

Beside, 'go out to eat' and 'fast food' are mutually exclusive in my mind. You 'go out to eat' when you want a reasonably good meal and be served. You 'eat fast food' when you are on the go / traveling.

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:
She made a good point though, if our phones can understand what we say, why not voice recognition to order?

I have no doubt that is in development.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:
She made a good point though, if our phones can understand what we say, why not voice recognition to order?

I have no doubt that is in development.

It could be like the cab driver from Total Recall.

quote:

I'm sure McDonalds has done the math.

Assuming that customers will change their habits to accommodate the company’s desires of how they’d like things to be involves more than math. McDonald’s has already been reported to be struggling and I assume that they believe they can reduce service and somehow retain, or perhaps even increase the business they have. Time will tell and it will be interesting to see how it works out for them. They wouldn’t, however, be the first company to think, “We could save …,” and end up being a business school case study on what not to do.

I also find it interesting that so many people have such confident beliefs about when and why other people should patronize places like fast food restaurants. I don’t go to them often myself because there are none in my rural town, but when I do at lunch during the week I see many workers who are obviously there on their short lunch breaks. Not everyone has the time and money to go elsewhere.

Plus, as horrifyingly shocking as the fact may be to the gourmands among us, some people actually like the fast food served at places like McDonald’s, and may prefer to eat it hot and fresh rather than cold by the time they can get it home, or not risk dripping “special sauce” all over their car seats. I have also often seen older people sitting and eating in mid-afternoon when the lunch crowd has diminished.
Restaurants like that aren’t patronized only by people who need to stuff their faces as fast as possible.

While I support sticking it to the $15/hr proponents, why in the world would I park my truck, enter my own order on a kiosk, stand around (no seating) waiting for my order, and get back in my truck instead of going through the drive-thru?

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
I'm sure McDonalds has done the math.

You mean like they’ve “done the math” the last 10 or 15 years with constant changes forced down the throat of franchisees only to be abandoned and on to the next “we did the math” idea. Meanwhile they continue to lose market share and brand loyalty to the competition. Is that the math you were referring to?

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:
She made a good point though, if our phones can understand what we say, why not voice recognition to order?

I have no doubt that is in development.

Link to original video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3bdXctq7DM