A hiring sign offers a $500 bonus outside a McDonalds restaurant.AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
- McDonald's, Subway, and Panera Bread recently unveiled new takeout and drive-thru tech.
- They join a slew of chains adding tech to help with labor shortages and digital orders.
McDonald's and Subway recently unveiled new contactless technology for takeout and drive-thru orders.
The nation's two largest fast food chains in terms of locations are joining a fray of restaurant companies betting big on innovation that involves faster service and fewer humans amid an ongoing labor shortage.
Chipotle, Domino's, and Checkers & Rally's are using AI-powered voice bots to take orders, while fast-casual chains like Sweetgreen are adding drive-thru lanes designated for faster pickup of digital orders.
Fast-tracking automation comes as the labor outlook continues to look grim for the industry. On Friday, new Labor Department data shows that the restaurant industry is still short 400,000 workers compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Here's a look at the 12 chains adding tech to augment labor and speed up service for digital customers.