McDonald’s Express (What Is It + Other Common FAQs)

McDonald’s is known for its traditional stores. As one of the largest fast-food chains in the United States, just about everyone has seen a McDonald’s store.

However, you may be surprised to know that McDonald’s has other types of branded stores. For instance, one of these is McDonald’s Express. To learn about this store type, check out my research below!

What Is McDonald’s Express?

The McDonald’s Express is a smaller version of the typical McDonald’s store in [currentyear]. Typically, these stores have fewer menu items, as the space inside limits the amount of equipment they can have. Often, McDonald’s Express may not even have a drive-through or indoor seating, but how the store is set up varies.

Keep reading for more information about this type of store (and the app it is commonly confused with)!

What’s The Difference Between A McDonald’s & A McDonald’s Express?

McDonald’s Express does not have a drive-through or indoor seating. Instead, you order food through a small window in the front. Then, the rest of the building is a kitchen.

As you might know, several other fast-food stores have a similar setup. Also, many McDonald’s Express stores have a limited menu.

Usually, they’re located in urban areas or places where people tend to do more walking, like at the beach.

Often, these stores only sell the most common menu items and snack-like foods, like ice cream cones and coffees.

However, the menu can vary widely. That said, McDonald’s Express stores often differ substantially from each other.

Additionally, they are not terribly common, so customers usually don’t know what to expect when visiting one.

What Is The McDonald’s Express App?

What Is The McDonald’s Express App?

On top of having McDonald’s Express stores, there is also a McDonald’s Express app. However, this app only works in Guatemala and a few other countries.

Still, this app allows users to order their food ahead of time and have it delivered in some areas.

When ordering through the app, you can access special promotions, potentially saving you quite a bit of money.

Fortunately, ordering on the app is surprisingly simple, as the menu is straightforward, making ordering easy.

Of course, the app does require you to input your location or use the location feature, so your online menu will be based on where you live.

Many users love that they can schedule their orders when using this app. With this feature, you can plan orders ahead of time, including on a different day.

For larger orders, scheduling a day or two ahead of time may be recommended.

Further, the McDonald’s app in the United States is called “McDonald’s.” Likely, this name difference is to avoid confusion between the app and the store type.

Is McDonald’s Express Popular?

There was a lot of uncertainty regarding McDonald’s Express at first.

For instance, many were worried that the limited menu would put customers off—however, the first Express to open far outsold what was estimated.

This store has an extremely limited menu and fewer seats than a full-sized location. For instance, a full-sized store is usually 3,000 to 5,000 square feet.

On the other hand, most Express stores are around 1,400 feet. Usually, these stores do not have any indoor seating. However, if they do have indoor seating, it is extremely limited.

Plus, because these units are smaller, they require less rent. Therefore, they usually show up in areas where real estate prices are the highest.

Moreover, only time will tell if McDonald’s Express stores will become more popular in the future.

That said, they have been around for some time but have yet to take off and appear outside dense population centers.

To learn more, you can also read our posts on sauces at McDonald’s, the biggest McDonald’s burger, and if you can reheat McDonald’s burgers.

Conclusion

McDonald’s Express can refer to two things: a special type of store found throughout the world or the McDonald’s app for certain countries. In the United States, it usually refers to the former.

That said, this small store has a limited menu and much less seating than a traditional store. Typically, they are located in dense population centers where space is at a premium.

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Cara Suppa

Cara Suppa has been freelance writing for over a decade and holds a BA in English and an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications. Outside of work, she is an avid cook, gardener, and discount shopper.

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