FORT SMITH (KFSM) — You may have noticed that your local McDonalds is receiving a makeover. It’s part of a push from McDonald’s executives to integrate a new look along with technology.
Part of the new look for McDonalds’ across the country means a renovated lobby and renovations of the outside of the stores as well.
Right now the McDonalds on Grand Avenue in Fort Smith is under construction while keeping a portion open to continue serving customers.
“I come here every Friday when I get paid to have my breakfast, and I want peace and quiet. I’m not getting that at all,” said customer Corey Baldwin. ” Hopefully it will get done soon.”
The changes being made to the Grand Avenue McDonalds and many others across the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas might be pleasing to customers like Baldwin.
” I thought they were going to put in a kiosk,” Baldwin said.
The franchise owner of Baldwin’s favorite McDonalds, Jim Hadley said he’d be right about that. Touch screen kiosks will be part of the new facelift McDonalds across the country will receive. Customers can punch in their own order at the kiosks.
The new additions will also be centered around technology and your smart phone. If you enable it from your phone workers can know when you pull into a McDonald’s parking lot.
“Order on your app at your home or your office and drive to the store. Park in a designated parking spot and they bring it right out to you,” Hadley said.
In the last four years, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, upgrades and changes were forecasted to bring a 3 percent revenue growth in the second quarter. It fell just short of that estimate. Some franchise owners of McDonalds across the country have reported the costs associated with the upgrades coming from McDonald’s executives mean less of a profit for them.
Even with McDonalds competing in a highly competitive fast food market, Hadley said, locally in the Fort Smith area the new look, technology integration and satisfied customers are looking pretty good.
“We are still new in it. We have just completed a couple, so we’re looking at the results. So far we have been happy with the ones we have. We’ll see how it goes,” Hadley said.
Hadley said all of the 9 McDonalds he owns in the River Valley’s Arkansas and Oklahoma will have a new look complete in the next two years.
