Big Mac ventures into Big Tech territory, encountering some bumps along the way.

When McDonald’s initially launched in the 1940s, its operations revolved around physical counters, paper menus, and cash transactions with human cashiers. Fast forward to today, technology permeates every facet of McDonald’s business, making it almost apt to describe the company as a tech enterprise that happens to serve burgers.

From its mobile app to its self-service kiosks, digitized menus that adapt to trends and weather, and even its employment of generative AI, McDonald’s harnesses these technologies to boost sales and streamline operations, generating billions of dollars in value across its 40,000 locations in nearly 100 countries.

However, this reliance on technology can also lead to challenges, as demonstrated by recent system outages that affected McDonald’s outlets in major global markets like Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Some stores were forced to accept only cash or shut down temporarily. While McDonald’s attributed the outage to a third-party provider’s configuration change, the incident underscored the potential vulnerabilities associated with tech integration.

Despite such setbacks, McDonald’s remains committed to its tech-driven strategy. The company’s annual Securities and Exchange Commission filing acknowledges the risks posed by technology failures but reaffirms its long-term vision of enhancing digital avenues for customer orders, with ambitions to leverage cloud computing and AI for improved service and operational efficiency.

Notably, McDonald’s is not alone in this tech-focused approach. Other major fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy’s are also investing heavily in AI and digital solutions to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency, albeit not without potential pitfalls and public scrutiny along the way.