McDonald’s is opening a new innovation lab in its home city
At one time, the Big Mac was the most innovative burger on the scene. But a fast-food giant like McDonald’s can’t rest on its decades-long achievements if it wants to maintain its No. So naturally, an innovation lab is an important part of its business.
To this end, the chain plans to launch Speedy Labs, a new innovation center at its Chicago headquarters. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it was borrowed from McDonald’s pre-Ronald McDonald’s mascot, and is also the name of the 1948 McDonald’s service system used to speed up the service. restaurant business,
The lab will span approximately 15,000 square feet and serve as a point of collaboration between the chain’s existing innovation team, currently operating out of Romeoville, Ill., and its corporate team. It is expected to open in the second half of 2023.
Manu Steijart, McDonald’s Chief Customer Officer, says, “The creation of Speedy Labs will enable our customers, restaurant teams, markets and global teams to contribute to our innovation to create a more intuitive and memorable McDonald’s experience while accelerating growth. ” Statement.
Streamlined kitchen processes, updated cooking methods, McDelivery, mobile orders and payments—along with many other things—can all be attributed to the work of the chain’s current Innovation Center. So we can only imagine what the new and improved laboratories will achieve.
But we have some hints of Mickey D. The chain entered into a strategic partnership with IBM in 2021 to help develop its automated order-taking technology (screens that help you order food yourself), as well as its drive-thru lanes. did. It started focusing more on mobile apps and collaborated with technology partner Ayden on its loyalty program. Last year, MyMcDonald’s Rewards, the company’s first national loyalty program in the United States, was launched via a mobile app.
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All employees from the Romeoville location will be relocated to Chicago, adding to the more than 14,000 jobs the chain supports in its home city.
“I am thrilled that McDonald’s continues to bet on Chicago by adding Speedy Labs to its global headquarters,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. “This new addition will attract even more visitors to our city from around the world, and I look forward to welcoming them as they come to collaborate and innovate with this iconic brand.”
