The signature red trapezoid roof is disappearing from most Central Florida McDonald’s restaurants.
Orlando-area McDonald’s are undergoing an aggressive revamp to modernize the region’s 195 fast-food restaurants.
Many locations are getting touch-screen kiosks, double drive-through lanes and a modern exterior that trades the traditional red roof for a boxier building in shades of tan and gray.
“We’ve been making a lot of changes over the last few years; it is being accelerated now,” said Karen Garcia, vice president of McDonald’s for Florida.
The world’s largest fast-food chain has been struggling in recent years globally with increased competition and an influx of fast-casual restaurants. In turn, McDonald’s has countered with initiatives such as the “Create Your Taste” menu where cooks will make a custom burger.
All-day breakfast service was an initial hit, but interest in that has slowed over time. McDonald’s has also switched to using real butter on breakfast items and changing their salads.
So far 86 Central Florida restaurants have received the new treatment, with another 17 scheduled for 2017.
Inside the restaurants, McDonald’s and its franchisees are pairing the touch-screen order kiosks with table service, having employees bring food to the customers. It’s a similar strategy employed in fast-casual restaurants.
“Our customers are noticing the table service,” Garcia said. “They really don’t expect that.”
Officially, the company is calling the interior changes the “experience of the future.”
“It’s a much more modern look and it’s really invigorated the restaurants,” said Mike Yontz, a franchisee of three McDonald’s restaurants in Orlando.
McDonald’s also testing other technologies, such as using third-party delivery services such as UberEats. McDonald’s launched that service last week.
It is also exploring a mobile-ordering smartphone app, Garcia said; some Orange County residents have received flyers promoting one. Starbucks and Chick-fil-A have their own mobile apps that allow customers to place an order from their phone, pay and pick up a ready-made meal.
The remodels have caused quite a bit of dust, but most restaurants have stayed open in some capacity throughout, Yontz said.
The touch-screen kiosks have already been in use for months at a handful of restaurants, such as the “World’s Largest Entertainment” McDonald’s at International Drive and Sand Lake Road.
Yontz said the kiosks allow the restaurant to add an employee to the lobby area to help with ordering and deliver meals to tables.
McDonald’s has about 870 restaurants in Orlando in all and when completed, about 600 will have the “experience of the future” services, Garcia said.
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