Don’t call it robots. McDonald’s tests ‘advanced kitchen equipment’
By Sara Shaw • June 25, 2019
McDonald’s Corp. is testing kitchen automation and Alexa-style voice ordering at a handful of stores across the U.S. as it strives to increase speed of service while simultaneously simplifying operations for employees.
The next-generation, “advanced kitchen equipment” was described as “robot” cooks tossing chicken, fish and fries into vats of oil, automating repetitive tasks such as cooking fries and dispensing beverages.
The drive-thru voice activation ordering is separate from the company’s artificial-intelligence-powered drive-thru menu boards being tested in 700 U.S. restaurants.