Maria Hossain | Source | Food & Wine Expert at The Missing Ingredient

I don’t know about you, but one of my primary goals when I travel is to eat as much good food as possible. I’m the person who scours the Internet for months before my trip, reading reviews and ratings, looking at menus and food pictures and watching TikTok videos to discover what bites can’t be missed. Then I create a whole spreadsheet and plan out each restaurant and bar stop.

With espresso machines and baristas, McDonald’s can compete against Starbucks. The facelift that McDonald’s is giving its stores is one of the final steps that could put McD’s in as a direct competitor.

People go to Starbucks for the convenience (we all know McDonald’s already has that with its many locations around the world), the ambiance (thanks, new McD’s makeover), the status symbol and the fancy drinks.

If McDonald’s adds some fancier additions to their menu (think: alternative milks, flavored syrups, fun toppings) and also makes their cup designs something that would create envy for people who aren’t yet holding a cup, McDonald’s could give Starbucks a run for its money.

Pandemic era restaurant tech is the way of the future and restaurant owners and staff should get used to it because it’s not going anywhere.

While there might initially be a learning curve or a monetary investment into digital ordering and paying systems, ultimately these practices will likely lead to a reduction in the workforce needed to operate a restaurant and will likely lead to increased volume of sales.

Some systems may require “training” of consumers, needing signage or perhaps an employee to explain how these systems work, but ultimately, the experience will remain largely the same, with customers paying with credit cards (as most already do).

However an almost certain consequence of these digital improvements is fewer customer service interactions, which could streamline the service industry but of course, take away from the experience that many consumers treasure while dining out.

Overall, the pros certainly outweigh the cons and if restaurants want to survive in the digital era, they should certainly look into implementing some of these technological improvements.