Fast food giant McDonald’s faced widespread disruptions on Friday due to system failures, leaving numerous restaurants closed for hours. Customers took to social media to express frustration as the chain grappled with what it termed a "technology outage."
McDonald’s Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, assured the public that the issues were not related to cybersecurity. In a statement addressing the situation, the company acknowledged the technology outage and assured that efforts were underway to resolve it. They expressed gratitude for customers' patience and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
Reports emerged from Japan, where McDonald’s operations were temporarily halted across the nation due to what was described as a system failure.
Similar complaints flooded in from various parts of the globe, with the Downdetector website noting a surge in problems with the McDonald’s app during the outage.
Despite the disruptions, some McDonald’s locations gradually resumed normal operations. Instances were observed in cities like Bangkok, Milan, and London, where customers were once again able to place orders and receive their food. In Bangkok, for example, although a sign apologizing for the inconvenience remained, customers were able to order digitally while technicians worked on system updates.
McDonald’s Denmark confirmed the resolution of the technology failure in their region, with restaurants reopening for business. Similarly, in Milan, a restaurant worker shared that after a couple of hours offline, the system was restored with the help of technicians.
Media outlets documented complaints from patrons across the globe, spanning from Australia to the UK. Instances of issues with ordering, including unavailable kiosks, were reported. Patrik Hjelte, owner of multiple McDonald’s restaurants in central Sweden, highlighted the interconnected nature of McDonald’s global network, attributing the widespread disruption to this connectivity.
According to its regional websites, the fast-food chain boasts approximately 40,000 restaurants globally, including over 14,000 establishments in the United States alone. In addition, the company operates nearly 3,000 stores in Japan and approximately 1,000 in Australia.
