McDonald's just launched

 its first new type of restaurant

 since the drive-thru 

McDonald's debuted its first restaurant in London that exclusively serves food to go.

• It's the first new format for a McDonald's restaurant since the drive-thru.
• The new restaurant replaces cashiers with touchscreens and is stripped of decor and furniture.
• I visited the new McDonald's to see what it was like firsthand.
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As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, businesses are having to rapidly adapt to consumer demand for speed and efficiency.

McDonald's is no exception.

The fast-food chain is reportedly opening a fleet of new restaurants that aim to feed customers faster by serving exclusively takeout. It's been described as McDonald's first new restaurant format since it introduced the drive-thru in the 1970s.

Inside the restaurant, orders are placed on touchscreens, and there are no tables, chairs, or decor. The menu is also stripped down to the chain's staple items like Big Macs, McNuggets, and fries.

I ventured to the first McDonald's of its kind, on Fleet Street in the heart of London. Here's what the experience was like.

From the outside of the restaurant, you wouldn't immediately guess this was a McDonald's. Only the familiar golden M really gives it away. When I got a bit closer, it was clearly marked as a "to-go" version.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost

Inside, the first things in sight were the touchscreens along the wall. The interior was otherwise featureless — the walls were finished in dull gray, and the floor was plain. It reminded me a bit of walking into an oversized ATM vestibule.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost

The station with straws and napkins was the only other thing in the customers' space, which was much smaller than that of a regular McDonald's — roughly the size of a small garage. After ordering at the touchscreens, customers move sideways to the collection point, with the kitchen visible behind.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost

The touchscreens were simple to use, with easy instructions and pictures. Once you've paid, you take your receipt to the collection point and wait for your number. Unlike at other McDonald's, you can order only on the touchscreens, which take only cards.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost

This menu has apparently been stripped down, but I spotted McDonald's most familiar offerings on there, like Big Macs and McNuggets. We settled for a pair of burgers and Diet Cokes.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost

Source: Evening Standard, iNews

Armed with our numbered receipt, we moved to the collection point. One of the company's aims with this new setup is to feed its customers faster, but it didn't feel as though the food arrived any quicker than normal.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost

With no seating, customers all stand looking up at the order board as though they're at a train station. It wasn't crowded when we went, but the layout seemed as if it was designed for customers to order, collect, and leave as quickly as possible — there's no other option.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost

I would rate the overall experience as thoroughly predictable. After all, nobody ever visits McDonald's for the chat, so we didn't feel we were missing out on anything. The food was quick and familiar, leaving us with just one big question: where to sit and eat it.

Caroline Frost

Fortunately, we found ourselves a bench in a nearby churchyard. It might find this quiet spot getting a bit busier in the next few weeks.

Courtesy of Caroline Frost