News

McDonald's developing self-service order-taking kiosk

January 20, 2003

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Workers at McDonald's laboratory in Oak Brook are developing labor-saving robot-like machinery including a kiosk that would reduce the need for counter workers in its restaurants.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the kiosk works like an ATM machine, accepting cash or credit card for transactions entered by customers.

"In some of the testing we've done, many customers like it a lot," said Jim Cantalupo, McDonald's new chairman and CEO.

Closer to reality are an automated french-fryer and a vertical grill, which automatically take information from order terminals and then cook and bag just enough food to handle expected order volume.