McDonald’s Corp. is designing voice-activated drive-throughs and robotic deep-fryers as the burger giant works to streamline its menu and operations to speed up service.

The company is testing voice-recognition software at a drive-through in suburban Chicago. Inside the restaurant, a robot also tosses chicken, fish and fries into vats of oil. Both technologies are meant to shorten customer wait times that executives acknowledge have grown in recent years. McDonald’s also has stopped serving some burgers and given franchisees more control over their menus recently to simplify operations.

McDonald’s is working to speed up service as it faces tough competition from smaller burger chains and declining fast-food traffic in the U.S. overall. Visits to U.S. fast-food burger restaurants fell 1% during the first three months of this year, according to research firm NPD Group Inc. McDonald’s said in April that its global same-store sales rose 5.4% in the first quarter.

“We’ve never been more focused on improving the experience of the drive-through, in particular, the speed of service,” McDonald’s said in that earnings report.

McDonald's says the voice-activated drive-through and robotic fryer will be tested at more restaurants soon. Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News

Other fast-food chains are also exploring automation to quicken operations and cut costs in an expensive labor market. Minimum wages are rising in many states, and unemployment is at record lows. More than one-third of restaurant operators are struggling to fill open jobs, according to a survey conducted in April by the National Restaurant Association.


Mason Smoot, a McDonald’s senior vice president overseeing key innovations, said in an interview that the voice-activated drive-through and robotic fryer will be tested at more restaurants soon. He and other executives wouldn’t say what those investments will cost the company or its franchisees. Some franchisees have already balked at the cost of other restaurant refurbishments and operational changes.

Union organizers who have tried to organize McDonald’s employees in recent years have said automation would eliminate jobs. They have organized walkouts this year over working conditions and pay at the biggest U.S. fast-food chain.

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Mr. Smoot said during a demonstration of the new technology that the voice-activated drive-through and robotic fryer would help McDonald’s workers, not threaten their jobs.

“The idea of technology is to help our crew—to make it easier and better for them,” said Mr. Smoot, who started working in McDonald’s restaurants 23 years ago.


Competitors also are investing in technology. Domino’s Pizza Inc. last year began testing voice recognition to take orders over the phone. Other chains are testing self-operating ovens and dishwashers, along with robots that flip burgers and perform other rote tasks.

More than a decade ago, McDonald’s began using a conveyor system to fill fountain drinks for drive-through orders. The company started developing its automated fryer last year.

Michael Atkinson, whose startup Orderscape Inc. enables voice-activated restaurant orders over smart speakers in homes, said big chains have struggled to apply that technology at drive-throughs so far.

“You have to deal with ambient noise. There are kids in the background saying, ‘I wanted onion rings, Dad,’ ” he said.


At a McDonald’s near Chicago testing its own voice-recognition software last week, customers pulled into the drive-through unaware they would be speaking to a computer program.

“Hey there. Welcome to McDonald’s. What would you like to order?” the digital voice asked.

Customers read off their orders and confirmed them on a digital display. A worker had to step in for one customer who hesitated during his order, tripping up the software. Other orders went off smoothly, including one with a special request for a Hot ’n Spicy McChicken sandwich without lettuce.

“It blew me away. It worked perfectly,” said Tony Parish, a 65-year-old diesel mechanic from Naperville, Ill., and frequent McDonald’s customer. He ordered a Sausage Egg McMuffin with fries and coffee, and collected his order from a McDonald’s worker at the next window.

Related Chick-fil-A is expanding off the strength of its simple chicken sandwich. WSJ explains how its leaner menu helps the company avoid some of the pitfalls of its competitors. Photo Illustration: Carter McCall/The Wall Street Journal

Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com