McDonald’s is set to transform its drive-thru experience in 2026 to reduce errors, reduce employee workloads, and speed up service.
How McDonald’s Is Changing Its Drive Thrus
According to various publications, including Technology Magazine, the New York Post, and Mashed, starting in 2026, McDonald’s intends to deploy a suite of AI-powered innovations across its drive-thrus to boost efficiency, address staffing pressures, and improve order accuracy.
The changes include:
Trialling AI accuracy scales
To address customer dissatisfaction with going home with wrong or incomplete orders, Mashed reports that McDonald’s is planning to roll out AI-driven scales, which will automatically weigh each bag of food before it is handed to the customer.
If the weight does not match the expected weight for the items ordered, staff are prompted to check the contents and correct the order before handing the bag to the customer.
Implementing AI-powered voice chatbots
To alleviate pressure on drive-thru staff, speed up order taking, and reduce wait times, McDonald’s, in partnership with Google Cloud, will install new voice-activated AI chatbots that will act like AI virtual assistants, which customers can place orders with.
McDonald’s previously trialed AI-order taking with IBM in 2021, but stopped the experiment after two years, as it was plagued with accuracy and reliability challenges.
Extending the “Ready on Arrival” program
To reduce wait times, McDonald’s will expand its “Ready on Arrival” program, which uses mobile app geofencing technology to detect when customers are near. When the app detects that the customer is close, the kitchen staff are alerted so they can begin preparing the order. According to Mashed, the program will be scaled up in key markets, including the U.S., Japan, and the U.K.
Expanding Multi-Lane Drive-Thrus
Physical changes are also planned. Back in 2023, the company announced plans to improve “the physical layout of the drive-thru with additional lanes” to create “additional capacity, which improves speed and efficiency,” according to the official announcement.
Now, McDonald’s will introduce multi-lane drive-thrus to serve multiple customers simultaneously. The company expects significant progress in 2026, with nationwide completion projected by 2027.
What McDonald’s Says About Its Drive-Thru Changes
McDonald’s leadership team and its technology partner, Google, have high hopes that AI could transform the drive-thru experience.
Brian Rice, McDonald’s CIO, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (cited by Technology Magazine): “We have customers at the counter, we have customers at our drive-through, couriers coming in for delivery, delivery at curbside. That’s a lot to deal with for our crew. Technology solutions will alleviate the stress.”
Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s CEO, told Technology Magazine that: “Everybody’s talking about AI. We’ve got a number of teams looking at how we can use AI to deliver an even better experience for our customers and for our crew members.”
Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, also told Technology Magazine: “Through this wide-ranging partnership, Google Cloud will help McDonald’s seize on new opportunities to transform its business and customer experiences, empowering restaurants worldwide with the latest technologies for near-term impact.”
When Will The Drive-Thru Changes Arrive
According to the New York Post, McDonald’s plans to deploy these AI-powered drive-thru features across strategic markets in 2026, with the U.S. at the forefront of the rollout.
