As fast-food chains continue to ramp up growth, many are opening new restaurant prototypes designed to streamline operations and make their businesses run smoother for customers. McDonald’s, of course, is at the forefront of this innovation.
The fast-food giant recently opened a new “On the Go” restaurant in Los Angeles, which is designed specifically for drive-thru and digital orders, as reported by Restaurant Business. The news was shared last week by X user McFranchisee and a construction company that works with McDonald’s.
The On the Go location is a first-of-its-kind prototype that differs from a traditional McDonald’s restaurant. In addition to being smaller and foregoing a traditional lobby, the location features another significant innovation that’s becoming more common in restaurants: food lockers solely dedicated to delivery orders.
While McDonald’s uses food lockers in international markets, this feature is a notable addition because it is the first time the chain has tested the lockers in the U.S. The new Los Angeles restaurant also has separate windows for mobile orders.
The opening of the On the Go restaurant comes about two years after McDonald’s opened a digital-focused location outside of Fort Worth, Texas, in 2022. According to Restaurant Business, these new locations could have a major impact on McDonald’s as it seeks to expand its U.S. presence.
Additionally, the publication pointed out that restaurants that are specifically focused on drive-thrus could help franchisees pinpoint units in markets where it’s more difficult to acquire traditional real estate. Plus, because most fast-food sales are driven by drive-thru, mobile, or delivery orders, the need to have a dining room decreases.
McDonald’s isn’t the only chain that’s testing a drive-thru-only location. In August, Chick-fil-A started testing a new two-story restaurant that has four drive-thru lanes and no dining services. The restaurant also has a conveyor belt system that transports meals from an elevated kitchen to a team member on the ground floor. According to Chick-fil-A, this system allows for meals to be delivered to staff members every six seconds.
Burger King and Taco Bell are a couple of other chains that are also testing drive-thru-only locations.
In addition to growing its restaurant footprint, McDonald’s has caught people’s attention with its recent and upcoming menu releases. For instance, earlier this month, the fast-food chain revived the McRib. Then in 2025, McDonald’s will bring back its beloved Snack Wraps, as confirmed by Joe Erlinger, McDonald’s USA President. Erlinger did not share an exact return date for the menu item due to “competitive reasons.”
Brianna Ruback
Brianna is a staff writer at Eat This, Not That! She attended Ithaca College, where she graduated with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Communication Studies. Read more about Brianna
