McDonald's Ordering Kiosks Arrive In Pittsburgh
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ROSS TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- The latest advancement in technology may surprise some fast food customers.
Step into the McDonald's on the northbound side of McKnight Road in Ross Township, and you will witness the future: the McDonald's ordering kiosk.
Four of them are now up and running. While they've been tested elsewhere, this is the first location to get them in our area.
Touch screen ordering with a twist.
And what do customers think?
"We almost need to bring them towards it to introduce them to it, because they're not familiar with it," said store owner Priscilla Foster. "However, the younger folks gravitate right towards it. They run to it!"
And judging by the reactions seen Monday night, young people do seem intrigued.
Heather Whitfill of Ross brought her daughter to check the kiosks out.
"My daughter came home, and they have iPads at school. And they read an article for reading today, and the article was on the new kiosks at McDonald's," said Whitfill.
The screens are similar to the touch screens at Sheetz or GetGo, but there's more to it here.
The sleek tall kiosks also allow you to pay if you're using a credit or debit card. Customers paying with cash still need to go to counter for the exchange of money.
You also get a table number, so no more waiting in line for your order to be filled. You just go to a table with that number, and they track where the number card is, so they can deliver your food right to you.
If all this reminds you of self-checkout at the grocery store and clerks losing their jobs, Foster says: "I'm feeling as though we could need more employees, not fewer."
But she says jobs will change with more employees out from behind the counter.
"I'm actually feeling as though we're going to need more folks because we're busier," said Foster. "We've actually increased the capacity for orders by four times."
Foster believes we'll see this spread to the other McDonald's in our area.
And if you're kiosk-reluctant, you can still order with someone at the counter.
