Should the modern fast food restaurant even have tables or is it all pick-up windows and screens? That is the question that many modern restaurants have to navigate as they move into a model in which they want people to place more mobile orders.
Sometimes the change is as subtle as more ordering screens and a drive-thru lane while, in other cases, it can be a whole restaurant revamp. McDonald’s (MCD) recently announced plans to modernize over 7,000 restaurants across the U.S. and the UK.
Instead of the traditional counter and seating areas, these will look more like a room with different sections that customers can order from — a family play area, a grab-and-go zone and a “linger” space where customers order from screens and wait for food to be prepared.
The counter for ordering in-person is less prominent and mostly used for picking up online orders or asking questions or clarifications.