McDonald’s adds kiosks to restaurant

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SIDNEY — Customers walking into the Sidney McDonald’s will be see a new addition to the restaurant.

Six kiosks have been added to enhance the customer’s service while dining at McDonald’s.

According to owners Stacy and Benny Scott, all McDonald’s across the United States will have kiosks by the end of 2019.

The Sidney McDonald’s is the first of the local owners restaurants to have the kiosks installed.

“The kiosks were installed last week,” said Benny Scott. “On Monday we held a family event where the staff’s families came in. The staff was in training on the kiosks so they could get comfortable using them.”

Benny said the kiosks are “user friendly.”

When a customer begins ordering, they tap on the appropriate selection: are you dining in or is the order to go? Screens with all the menu selections appear and the customer can select drinks, sandwiches or other items and continue their ordering.

At the end, they can chose to pay at the kiosk or take it to a register and pay for it there. Each customer dining in takes a “number” and takes the slip to the register. They then find a table and wait for their food to be brought to them.

“It’s easy to do it (pay) with a credit card at the kiosk and that’s what we’re encouraging,” said Benny.

The kiosks, they stressed, will not replace their employees. In fact the opposite is true.

“We are hiring more people,” said Stacy Scott. “We want to provide better customer service. We’re all about enhancing the customers experience at McDonald’s.”

The kiosks, said Benny, are “just a different way for the customer to interact” when they come into the restaurant. He estimates 35 percent of the customers will use the kiosks while the rest will continue to order with an employee at the counter.

“We will also be having table service and the people enjoy that,” said Stacy. Customers will also be able to order via a mobile ap. The order won’t be placed until they pull into the parking lot.

The kiosks allow the customers to see the menu much closer than those behind the counter.

“There’s also a magnifying glass on the screen to enlarge the items even more,” said Stacy. “You can see it a lot better than what’s behind the counter.”

Benny said the installation of the kiosks is being done in conjunction with the modernization of the lobby of each McDonald’s across the U.S. The couple are in the process of having the work done at some of their other restaurants. He said four of the restaurants won’t have kiosks until 2019.

The pair said families will now be able to order their meals without worrying about holding up a line.

A trial run of using the kiosks was held Tuesday morning for several Shelby County officials and residents.

“I thought it was good,” said Shelby County Commissioner Julie Ehemann. “It was easier than I expected.”

“I think it’s got great appeal for families and others who might take a while to order,” said Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst.

Shelby County Commissioner Bob Guillozet said it best: “It’s quick and easy and hassle free.”

The addition of the kiosks is part of McDonald’s “Bigger, Bolder, Vision 2020” initiative.

Sidney McDonald’s owner Stacy Scott shows how to work the new kiosk as Amy Breinich, Sidney Alive director, looks on.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/11/web1_McD1.jpgSidney McDonald’s owner Stacy Scott shows how to work the new kiosk as Amy Breinich, Sidney Alive director, looks on. Amy Chupp | Sidney Daily News

Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst uses the kiosk to order breakfast Tuesday morning while owner Stacy Scott stands by in case he needs assistance.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/11/web1_McD2.jpgSidney Mayor Mike Barhorst uses the kiosk to order breakfast Tuesday morning while owner Stacy Scott stands by in case he needs assistance. Amy Chupp | Sidney Daily News

By Melanie Speicher

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Reach the writer at 937-538-4822.

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