Customers can use iPads to build their own burger

Scott Olson / Getty Images A McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Ill., on Oct. 24, 2013

McDonald’s of supersize fame is now exploring the “made-to-order” model, in an effort to compete with growing competition around the country.

The world’s biggest hamburger chain is giving customers control of tailoring burgers through wall-mounted iPads in Laguna Niguel, Calif. and Romeoville, Ill., the Associated Press reports. The move comes as mounting competition from chains like Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Chipotle make the “build-your-own” model more popular.

The company said it’s too early to tell if the pilot will expand nationally to its more than 14,000 locations, but it is installing “assembly tables” to make room for more ingredients. The new order format means that customers may have to pay more and wait longer.

The restaurant is also offering new signature sandwiches with upscale ingredients, including the SoCal burger, which comes a bakery-style bun with white cheddar cheese and chili-lime tortilla strips.

[AP]