McDonald's Mobile Ordering Is Now A Reality

For the first time ever, McDonald's Corporation MCD customers can place an order and pay for a Big Mac or any other meal through their mobile device.

According to a CNBC report, McDonald's will begin testing a mobile order and payment app in 80 stores across Northern California and Washington on March 20. The initial trial period will serve as a trial before each and every one of the approximate 14,000 chains will be equipped with mobile ordering capabilities.

While this may seem like welcome news to both customer and investors, the reality is many other restaurant chains have introduced similar services to a not-so-great reception.

For instance, Starbucks Corporation SBUX acknowledged the popularity of its mobile ordering app actually hurt sales as staff members couldn't keep up with orders. Many would-be customers walked into a crowded store and left the location without making a purchase.

Similarly, Panera Bread Co's PNRA "Panera 2.0" initiative saw a rough debut and took some time for the company to erase its initial mistakes and blunders. However, the company went on to earn the respect of Wall Street.

Nevertheless, McDonald's thinks it has learned from the mistakes of others. CEO Steve Easterbook told CNBC earlier this month its mobile system will "link from end to end as you place your order and it's integrated into our kitchen operation so we can actually meet the demand that we'll be creating, so we're confident there's no hurdles as we grow our business."

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