McDonald’s space station
The unit is actually ground-based, but the departures incorporated into the menu and design leave no doubt that this set of Golden Arches is really out there. It’s so different that the restaurant doesn’t even sport the traditional McDonald’s name. It’s called McDonald’s Next.
The upscale touches include latte art—images of the Peanuts cartoon characters etched into the foam as a matter of routine, a twist that doesn’t fit McDonald’s usual grab-and-go mindset.
The burger toppings available at the Hong Kong unit are also a far cry from pickles, cheese and mustard. You can get asparagus on top of your quarter-pounder, or opt instead for a custom-made salad a la Sweetgreen. As with any mixed-to-order salad concept, the unit showcases the ingredients in a glass-fronted display. Customers move down the line to build their meal in classic Chipotle style.
Remember, McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook has promised to transplant winning menu, operational and marketing ideas from one geographic market to another. Might some of the innovations of McDonald’s Next appear in U.S. stores?