‘McDonald’s Of The Future’ To Offer All-You-Can-Eat French Fries, Construction Begins In Missouri

A McDonald’s franchise owner has recently announced that he will build a new McDonald’s restaurant in St. Joseph, Missouri. However, he made a bold statement concerning the new store, referring to it as the “McDonald’s of the future.”

Chris Habiger held a press conference last week at the site where the new McDonald’s store is undergoing construction. He said at the media event that he is aiming to build a McDonald’s unlike any other.

The McDonald’s of the future will occupy a 6,400-square-foot area and will feature armchairs and couches that will have earthy tones. Habiger said he wanted to add more services and features to customers’ casual dining experience.

“Today’s customers seek a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. So we’re committed to providing a modern look and feel to this restaurant,” Habiger said.

Aside from the usual counters, the new McDonald’s will have a “larger than life” kiosk where customers can customize the way their meals will be prepared. This is probably Habiger’s answer to the trend among Americans who prefer to eat healthier food.

Once they can independently choose the toppings and different ingredients to include in their burgers and other food, they will learn to trust the brand more.

“There really are hundreds of different choices to build the burger of your dreams,” he added in an interview.

The kiosks also allow customers to avail of the McDonald’s of the future’s main selling point for most people – unlimited French fries.

UNLIMITED @McDonalds french fries could be a REAL THING. https://t.co/xwG6fhdgqx pic.twitter.com/j9oCSrBa8T

— Lisa Remillard (@LisaRemillard) April 15, 2016

Aside from meals, desserts will also come with customization options.

However, this new kiosk feature sparked concerns among the local press who attended the conference. Would these kiosks replace employees? Habiger’s said that the role of the kiosks is just to allow customers to customize food. The franchise owner emphasized that he would still hire about 90 people in the coming months for the restaurant to run smoothly.

Aside from the kiosk, another change that the owner wants to implement is to let the restaurant crew serve the meals and orders to the customers’ table. Once the customer chooses his order, he can return to his seat and wait for his order to be served.

A Play Area will also be available, but Habiger said he wants to make it stand out as well. When he was asked whether there will be a play area, he answered “absolutely.”

“We’ve packed a number of new and innovative features into our play place,” he said.

The franchise owner stated that there would be interactive light board tables and other digital items that kids can enjoy. There would also be tabletop video games for both young and young at heart.

The play equipment will come in multiple stories, and there will be a party room nearby. Dedicated staff will attend to the play area and other needs.

The McDonald’s of the future is expected to open its doors in July. Once completed, the new store in St. Joseph would be among the biggest McDonalds in a four-state area.

According to the building permit, the construction of the new McDonald’s store is estimated at $1.59 million.

Aside from the upcoming store, Habiger and his wife, Karri, also own five more McDonald’s restaurants in St. Joseph, as well as one in Mound City, Missouri.

McDonald’s is coming off a rough year where sales have dropped because more people are becoming conscious about their health. However, when the company implemented its all-day breakfast meals, McDonald’s stores saw a slight increase in sales.

Concerning this, the features of the McDonald’s of the future, especially all-you-can-eat fries, could be another good move for the company.

[Photo by Getty Images]