It's hard to be forward-looking when short-term sales are at stake, but McDonald's executives are right to keep funneling money into system-wide tech upgrades. This will pay off in the not-so-distant future.
Independent restaurants might rely more heavily on third-party apps to drive digital orders, but quick-service restaurant chains are doing just fine hooking in customers through their own branded mobile apps.
Paying (and, in some cases, ordering ahead) via smartphone can drastically cut down wait times and improve efficiency and overall customer satisfaction in the dining room.
Finally, customers no longer have to download Shake Shack's app in order to place a digital order for pickup. We expect digital sales to rise for the chain now that they'll be able to reach more customers online.