You deserve a seat today: McDonald’s expanding table service

McDonald’s wants to makes its fast-food outlets feel more like restaurants, with plans to eventually expand table service across its U.S. locations.

The world’s biggest burger chain says it has been testing the service at about 500 of its more than 14,000 domestic stores. Customers in those stores order at the counter or at kiosks and sit down and wait for an employee bring out their food, which McDonald’s says improves customer satisfaction.

McDonald’s says it will expand the offering in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., early next year. Bringing the change to all its stores could take years, as it would require franchisees to invest in remodelling and more training for employees.

The push to offer table service like some fast-casual chains do comes as McDonald’s tries to stage a comeback after losing customers in recent years, with executives conceding they failed to keep up with changing tastes. Despite a string of announcements intended to drum up excitement — including the introduction of an all-day breakfast menu — customer visits in the United States have not increased, the company said.

Chief executive officer Steve Easterbrook said going to McDonald’s is supposed to be fun, but “the initial stages of it can be quite stressful.” Next year, the company also plans to introduce a mobile order and pay option.