The Chain Gang

McDonald’s Tests Out Giving Free Food to Drive-Through Customers Who Wait Longer Than a Minute

Start your timers now.
Start your timers now. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A few South Florida McDonald’s have hatched a plan to deal with all those who lament drive-through gridlock and stuff like wilted iceberg on their Big Macs by test-marketing a super-speedy kind of drive-through pilot program. Here’s how it works: After paying, customers are given timers — which we can only hope are hamburger-shaped — and if their food isn’t ready in 60 seconds, they receive vouchers for a complimentary lunch item on a subsequent visit. (“At worst, McDonald’s will be giving out coupons for free sandwiches here and there, which all but guarantees the customer will be back in the future,” Time accurately notes.) The catch is that the test program is only available weekdays, from noon to 1 p.m. through August 29, and we’re also pretty sure everyone in South Florida will be tempted to drive away with the cool McDonald’s timers. [Miami Herald via Time]

McDonald’s Tests Out Giving Free Food to Drive-Through Customers Who Wait