I have frequent occasion to buy lunch from McDonalds. Presently there are 7 or 8 parking spaced detailed for picking up on line orders. Those spaces are mostly vacant. Not many online orders to be filled. The order kiosks inside are also not used. customers will stand in a short line at the now reduced in size order counter. Interestingly, most customers prefer waiting in line in their cars to order and then be served.
I do not like the McDonald’s kiosk - I use it from time-to-time, as I did ordering chicken sandwiches last week (I’ve given up on Chik-fil-A long ago)
I STILL have to go to the counter to complete payment because I use the actual BOGO coupon from the previous receipt.
I DO love the BOGO deal on the receipt - takes about 1-1.5 minutes max to fill out with my phone.
Sometimes my order is so custom (Quarter Pounder with Cheese a special way) that I have to go to the counter anyway so I just skip the kiosk).
If the place is busy, I just go with the Big Mac (2 for the BOGO) as I don’t customize them, usually.
And the prices are still as high as employee only stores.
In Poland McDonald’s has a different strategy from their US strategy - they aren’t the cheapest places to eat here, so they have clean, airy, safe eating areas at strategic transportation node points.
And they have been using kiosks for nearly a decade - nearly everyone uses them and the cashier desks are mostly not (wo)manned and with no queues.
That’s the same for the KFCs and Burger Kings here.
I visit McDonalds about once a year. The last time I stopped in, I encountered those machines. No visible humans. I walked out and stayed hungry.
we pulled into a chik fila yesterday- 100% of parking near the store was for curbside pick up or online orders. 1 or 2 were for handicapped.
you are expected to park and walk if you wanted to enter the store.
Interestingly, most customers prefer waiting in line in their cars to order and then be served.
= = =
Interestingly, my wife’s last trip to a McDonalds was not happy.
She wanted a drink, and the employees said use the kiosk, that’s the only way, and then laughed at her and would not take the simple order at the counter.