McDonald’s Reportedly Plots 2026 Overhaul With AI Upgrades, Multi‑Lane Drive‑Thrus and Rapid Expansion

Much of the plan is sourced to Mashed, with McDonald’s confirming new franchisee pricing guidelines for 2026.

Overview

The company is reported to target more than 8,000 new restaurants in 2026 as part of a broader push to reach about 50,000 locations by 2027.
Roughly 27,000 drive‑thru sites are expected to be revamped into multi‑lane formats that include dedicated mobile‑order lanes to reduce wait times.
A 2026 rollout of Google Cloud–powered AI is reported to focus on faster, more accurate ordering and on monitoring equipment to predict failures and adjust cooking in real time.
McDonald’s says it will implement new pricing guidelines for franchisees beginning in 2026 to deliver more consistent value while allowing for local differences.
Menu changes include the return of popular CosMc’s beverages to about 500 restaurants, along with expanded chicken options and the ongoing Better Burger Initiative to improve burger quality.