CF
C Eugene Frazier
Dec 23, 2025
I recently visited a local McDonald's on Tropicana to observe how technology has changed the food service industry. McDonald’s restaurants, in particular, have been severely affected. When I walked in, the aesthetics were modern, featuring new menu kiosks that even accept cash payments. However, the most notable absence was the iconic greeting, "Welcome to McDonald's, may I take your order?" That, in itself, was a bummer and made the environment feel much less inviting. There wasn't even an employee to say, "Welcome in." I would definitely say the brand has lost its "guest appeal."
With no one manning the registers, all employees were busy focusing primarily on drive-thru orders. Since most of their revenue comes from the drive-thru, this is partially understandable, but it makes for a poor experience for dine-in guests. I proceeded to order via the kiosk. I tried to order my usual $5 McDouble meal with no ketchup or mustard, adding lettuce and Big Mac sauce. However, I ran into a problem: I searched the menu for the "add Big Mac sauce" option to no avail.
This left me heading to a small cutout in the wall next to the unmanned registers—an area I assume is intended for people who aren't comfortable with kiosks. I then had the task of flagging down an employee to add the sauce to my order. With only a small window to look through, I practically had to lean through the opening to get someone's attention. After finally reaching an employee and completing my order, I sat down for lunch.
I will give them credit: the food was hot and fresh. However, when I realized I needed a salt packet, I had to repeat the "adventure" of flagging someone down through the window cutout. After several minutes of waiting, I received the salt and could finally enjoy my—by then—almost-hot meal.
As I finished my sweet tea, I debated whether a refill was worth the effort I knew it would require. A few minutes later, I did manage to get a fresh refill. Leaving the restaurant, I thought about how technology is mostly for the better, yet we still need employees to tend to the small details. Staying current with technology is great, but we shouldn't totally abandon the employees who greet us, provide salt packets, or refill drinks. Otherwise, you end up with guests yelling through a window cutout; it may be annoying for the staff, but everyone likes to eat their meal their own way. In the fast-food industry, customization should be standard.
I’m not sure what the exact solution is, but perhaps assigning a dining room employee to focus solely on dine-in guests—especially during peak lunch and dinner hours—would create a better experience. I give this particular McDonald’s two out of five stars due to the lack of service. I spent more time trying to flag down an employee than I did actually enjoying my meal. If the fries weren't so good, I would have given them the lowest rating possible.