MAHMOUD BENNETT: MCDONALD’S HAS UNVEILED ITS FIRST LARGELY AUTOMATED LOCATION – AND YOU’RE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW.

COMPLETE WITH TOUCHSCREENS, AUTOMATIC WINDOWS AND A CONVEYER BELT, THIS TEXAS MCD’S IS STIRRING MIXED REACTIONS.

ONE VIRAL CAPTION WRITING, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WITH A $25 MINIMUM WAGE.

BUT THIS TEST CONCEPT OF A RESTAURANT IS ONLY IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW – WHERE THE MINIMUM WAGE IS ACTUALLY $7.25 – AND IT’S BEEN THAT WAY IN THE STATE FOR NEARLY A DECADE.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY – MOST MCDONALD’S WORKERS GET LESS THAN 15 DOLLARS AN HOUR ACCORDING TO THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE, THAT’S BELOW A LIVING WAGE IN ALMOST EVERY STATE.

REGARDLESS, THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY ISN’T DOING TOO HOT – WITH SHORTAGES LINGERING FROM THE PANDEMIC.

AS A RESULT 60% OF RESTAURANTS HAVE REDUCED HOURS OF OPERATION, WHILE 38% HAVE CLOSED THEIR DOORS ON DAYS THEY’D NORMALLY BE OPEN ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.

WHILE THIS TEST RESTAURANT PLAYS INTO FEARS THAT JOBS ARE BEING TAKEN OVER BY ROBOTS AND AUTOMATION – THE FAST FOOD GIANT RESPONDED IN A STATEMENT WRITING THE CONCEPT “IS NOT FULLY AUTOMATED”, CLAIMING THEY STILL EMPLOY A TEAM COMPARABLE TO THAT OF A TRADITIONAL STORE.