McDonald's China future concept restaurant opens in Beijing

McDonald's China launched its first "Experience of the future" flagship restaurant in Beijing yesterday as part of a move to embrace digital dining and online-to-offline services. Customers can self-order and payment can be made with bank cards or mobile payment systems including Alipay and WeChat. The restaurant also has a mobile ordering system which allows customers to scan a QR code on the table, customise their burgers and have them delivered to their tables without leaving their seats. McDonald's China has over 2,200 stores and sales grew 4% in Q4 2015. According to Phyllis Cheung, CEO of McDonald's China, the company plans to open 250 new stores this year in third and fourth-tier cities, the most in any market.

McDonald’s aims to update image with futuristic concept stores

McDonald's is trying to refresh the traditional dining concept among customers in the Chinese mainland, 25 years after it entered the market.



The company launched its first future concept store Wednesday in Beijing as part of a move to embrace digital dining and online-to-offline services.



The outlet is the first of its kind in the mainland and the second in the world.



The first, called "McDonald's Next", opened in the Hong Kong in late December in 2015.



The restaurant in Beijing, named "Experience of the Future" is located in the Wangfujing tourist and shopping area.



The interior design has been updated to feature more open space and highlight the colors of food.



At the entrance of the store, there are self-ordering kiosks with ultra-large touch screens. Payment can be made with bank cards or mobile payment systems such as WeChat and Alipay.



For conventional ordering, both the menu board and pickup board have been upgraded with electronic screens that show dynamic, easy-to-read information to consumer.



The restaurant also provides a mobile ordering system, which allows customers to scan a QR code on the table to create a personalized burger.



Regina Hui, senior director of communications for McDonald's (China) Co, told the Global Times that Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province is expected to get a concept restaurant this year.



McDonald's Corp announced fourth-quarter global results Monday, with same-store sales in China increasing 4 percent, the second straight quarter of growth after a decline lasting four quarters.



McDonald's had about 2,200 restaurants in Chinese mainland as of end-2015.



The company plans to open about 200 more stores a year, especially in third- to fifth-tier cities.



China is regarded as a high-growth market for the company, indicating that the global fast-food leader is en route to a recovery in the nation's market after it a setback in 2014 due to a food safety scandal.



Global Times

