Elgin McDonald's unveils new dining room with kiosks, food delivered to your table
An Elgin McDonald's with a track record of innovation unveiled a new dining room design Tuesday where patrons can order from kiosks and have their food delivered to the table.
The Bear Family McDonald's at 1480 Larkin Ave. held a grand reopening for its remodeled dining room, one of fewer than 200 McDonald's in the country with the design. Along with the ordering kiosks, it features clean, modern decor and a state-of-the-art air filtration system.
"This restaurant was the first my family owned and we've always tested new things there, so it was a natural spot for this," owner David Bear said.
It was also the first restaurant in the world with a side-by-side drive through. "My dad designed and implemented that and now it's the industry standard," he said.
Bear's parents, Jerry and Marcelle Bear, purchased the location in 1967. The family now owns 32 McDonald's restaurants.
Bear said they're in a cycle of remodeling their restaurants every 10 years and wanted to incorporate the latest design and technology. The work took about four weeks to complete.
The first thing guests will notice when entering are the kiosks and a cleaner, more closed-off front counter area that hides most of the kitchen. Patrons can order and pay at the kiosks, then take a number to their table and their food will be delivered to them.
Ordering can also be done from a phone app, or the old-fashioned way at the counter.
"It's really something," Marcelle Bear said of the kiosks. She remembers working on an old manual cash register when they first opened. "They're going to need to train me."
The kiosks are handicapped-accessible with a voice component and touch feedback.
The remodeled dining room seats about 100 and features a pair of tables with colorful, heat-sensitive lights built in.
"You think it's something for the kids, but I guarantee adults are going to love them," David Bear said.
They also installed a UV Angel Clean Air filtration system throughout the restaurant. The system pulls air in through a HEPA filter, then goes through a chamber where it is exposed to UV light, which kills any pathogens or microbes in the air, Bear said.
He said the system was in place in four other of the family's locations.
"We've seen an 80% reduction in microbes in the air in the other locations where we've installed it," Bear said. "I feel very safe in there without my mask."
Manager Ron Hornsberger was full of superlatives when describing the redesign.
"The changes are outstanding," he said. "It's going to be great for the community, and the customer experience is going to be out of this world."