You Want Ads With That? McDonald's Is Testing A Very Different Drive-Thru Experience

McDonald's digital menu boards have become a familiar sight at drive-thrus around the country over the past decade. The screens make it easier for employees to update menu items and promote new deals, but their flexibility also allows them to display other types of content. Now, in search of new revenue, McDonald's is testing a pilot program where they will display ads to customers while they wait.

That's right, your next order at McDonald's may come with a side of advertisements. The initiative is being rolled out at 450 company-owned restaurants, before possibly being expanded to the over 13,000 franchised McDonald's locations nationwide. A McDonald's spokesperson told Bloomberg, "This limited menu board advertising pilot at select company-owned restaurants is exploring ways to share post-purchase content that customers may find helpful, relevant, or interesting, while ensuring the McDonald's experience remains at the center of every visit."

The company is hoping its massive reach will make its menu boards attractive to advertisers. McDonald's reportedly serves 26 million people every day, and nearly 90% of Americans visit at least once a year. The program is part of a larger effort to refresh the McDonald's experience, including retraining staff to improve customer service and overhauling the look of its restaurants. While sales continue to grow overall, that growth has slowed as customers struggle with the value at the biggest burger chain in the U.S. The number of people visiting McDonald's has also started to decline, while higher prices have helped support sales growth.

McDonald's may hope that plastering an ad across the drive-thru menu screen will bring in money, but customers aren't exactly thrilled. Over on Reddit, fans are unsurprisingly bothered by the announcement, with one person theorizing, "Ads means they've given up on customers making them money from food purchases and now it's about selling to businesses." Customers also worry about the already poor McDonald's drive-thru experience, with another saying, "So now we have even less time to see the actual bloody menu that constantly rotates?" 

The biggest point of comparison on the thread is the small screens that play ads at gas stations while people pump. One Redditor questioned whether those ads are even effective, writing, "It's like those little TVs at the pump... They play ads. Can't name a single one."

Unfortunately, advertising is becoming an increasingly easy and profitable way for companies to make money from customers. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and certain grocery chains have made advertising a major part of their businesses, sometimes accounting for up to 10% of total profit. Walmart, in particular, has rolled out ads on its app, website, and in its stores, with ad sales jumping 43% in just the second quarter of this year. McDonald's itself expects its advertising business could eventually bring in more than $1 billion in additional revenue. For that kind of money, the chain likely won't care how many people it annoys.