Fully-Autonomous McDonald’s Opens In Texas

McDonald’s recently unveiled the first of its kind fully-autonomous location just outside of Fort Worth, Texas, where customers can order and receive their food with absolutely no physical interactions with a real person, in what is poised to become a massive gamechanger for the restaurant industry.

Technically speaking it is not truly autonomous as of yet (though the headlines say otherwise), as this test location still requires living cooks to prepare the food, but they are hidden away in the kitchen and customers will not be able to directly interact with them.

McDonald’s as a whole has already been drifting into the future of reduced physical interactions. As Lad Bible puts it:

If you’ve been inside a McDonald’s at any point in the last few years you’ll know that most orders aren’t placed at the counter anymore. You instead have to tap your order onto those screens they’ve had installed all over the place, with about half the time spent trying to get the screen to understand which option you’re trying to press.

The most you usually get as far as human interaction goes is someone behind the counter shouting out order numbers for collection and them checking your receipt to make sure you’re not just nabbing someone’s lunch.

SEE: Dubai To Open First-Ever “Cyber Café” With Autonomous ‘Supermodel’ Robot In 2023

According to a press release from McDonald’s on December 1st, the new restaurant has what the franchise calls “The Order Ahead Lane” – a “separate Drive Thru lane where customers receive their orders via a food and beverage conveyor,” McDonald’s says, and is a way to skip the traditional drive-thru and receive the “food quickly and conveniently.”

This lane also allows for the staff and the system to begin preparing the meal well-before the customer arrives and have it timed to when the customer should be approaching the window or pick-up room, so there are no delays.

The press release also explained that this location in particular is smaller than most because the restaurant is “geared toward customers who are planning to dine at home or on the go,” they said. Inside is a separate pick-up room for customers to quickly enter and exit with their food with no interactions necessary.

At McDonald’s, we’ve been setting the standard for Drive Thrus for more than 45 years. As our customers’ needs continue to change, we are committed to finding new ways to serve them faster and easier than ever before.

Max Carmona, Senior Director, Global Design & Restaurant Development, McDonald’s, said.

The technology in this restaurant not only allows us to serve our customers in new, innovative ways, it gives our restaurant team the ability to concentrate more on order speed and accuracy, which makes the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

I am immensely proud to have this new restaurant concept serving our customers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Keith Vanecek, the franchisee operating the test restaurant, explained

One of the few employees that does work at this location praised the technology and is honored to help run it.

The focus on technology within this restaurant is amazing and shows the emphasis we put on innovation; it’s exciting to be a part of.

I’m in awe of how far I’ve come within McDonald’s. Walking into this restaurant, I feel like the sky is the limit, and I hope to one day be a franchisee because I feel like I’ve found my calling.

Manager Rosemin Jussab said in a separate press release from the company

“FoodieMunster” on TikTok recently went to this location and tried it out for himself and filmed his experience.

@foodiemunster

@McDonald’s has a new test concept

♬ Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

‘Faster, faster, faster; more convenient and easier’ – as if the old way was somehow too slow, right? The patience and attention span of the masses are GONE at this point, and now everything must be done in the blink of an eye. And ultimately the root cause is the “love of money,” which is the “root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Less and eventually no employees means no paychecks, benefits and insurance, and a gradual return on investment.

[25] The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. [26] He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

Proverbs 21:25-26

The World Economic Forum says that by 2030 all of actual work will be eliminated and everything will be autonomous, especially things like McDonald’s.

Shopping? I can’t really remember what that is. For most of us, it has been turned into choosing things to use. Sometimes I find this fun, and sometimes I just want the algorithm to do it for me. It knows my taste better than I do by now.

When AI and robots took over so much of our work, we suddenly had time to eat well, sleep well and spend time with other people. The concept of rush hour makes no sense anymore, since the work that we do can be done at any time. I don’t really know if I would call it work anymore. It is more like thinking-time, creation-time and development-time.

The WEF wrote in an essay

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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