McDonald’s opens new HQ; plans to add more self-service kiosks

McDonald’s new headquarters has moved back to Chicago’s West Loop after its 47 years’ of operations in the suburb. Now, the company’s brand new $250 million headquarters is strategically located in the city’s up-and-coming neighborhood, which is known for its trendy restaurants.

The move of the company’s new headquarters is expected to help McDonald’s cultivate top talents and tap into the emerging food crazes and tech trends, according to the company’s CEO Steve Easterbrook.

So, what’s inside McDonald’s new headquarters?

ü  A McDonald’s restaurant

The restaurant is located on the first floor and is open to the public. This McDonald’s showcases the menu items from around the world, where selective international foods would be featured periodically over the year. For example, customers may now try the McSpicy Chicken Sandwich from Hong Kong and the McFlurry Prestígio from Brazil in this store. 

More importantly, this McDonald’s restaurant also features the latest perks that the company has rolled out or is ready to debut in the global market, including the self-ordering kiosks and table delivery service.

ü  The Hamburger University

This academy where McDonald’s trains its managers is located on the second floor. Since 1961, the University has graduated over 80,000 managers and owners/operators.

ü  A test kitchen

On the third floor locates McDonald’s test kitchen, where new menu items are created and then tasted for countless times before they are rolled out in the stores.

ü  McDonald’s employee café

The employee café is located on the sixth floor. It features stadium seating as a means to promote collaboration and meetups during meals. On the same floor, there is a McCafé with barista-style coffee and Canadian pastries and a tech bar, where employees can seek assistance with IT and computer-related issues.

ü  Work neighborhoods

Office space is created as “work neighborhoods” with open floor plans. Each neighborhood features huddle rooms, individual workstations, private phone rooms, and more, along with unassigned benches, couches, cubicles, and open space throughout the office space to encourage collaborations and impromptu conversations.

ü  Meeting space

There are 300 conference rooms that are equipped with video presentation technologies, plus one conference center for 700 people.  

ü  The rooftop

The company’s fitness center, as well as several outdoor terraces, are located on the rooftop (9^th floor), overlooking the skylines of the city of Chicago.

What to expect from McDonald’s?

Along with its new concepts/designs in the stores, McDonald’s recent updates on its fresh beef burgers and the $1, $2, $3 menu seem to be working for its stockholders’ favorites. The same-store sales of McDonald’s had been reported to top analysts’ projections in the first quarter of 2018.

Additionally, the company plans to upgrade 1,000 stores every quarter with kiosk and mobile ordering technology in the next two years. In fact, some international markets, such as Canada and the U.K., have already embraced the technology trend and fully integrated with kiosk and mobile ordering service. It appears that the kiosks and mobile ordering technology can provide a different experience to customers and very likely help companies save the soaring labor costs. Consumers may also pick up more items when ordering with a kiosk or a mobile device as they face fewer pressures of placing a rush order.

Modeling the growth of Asia, where 10 percent of system sales come from delivery service, McDonald’s is also hoping to grow the delivery service in the U.S. market. The company is currently testing various delivery models, including in-house and third-party options.

How do you feel about McDonald’s new strategic plans? Are they good enough to move this fast-food giant forward?

Note: This discussion is also published on MultiBriefs.com; the picture was downloaded from Fortune.com