text: Working at McDonald's: How technology makes it work, and why customers get their picture taken - Teesside Live
  Teesside Live reporter Sam Jones made Big Macs, took drive-thru orders and fried chips :: And the modern technology makes a big difference
  Most Teessiders will be no strangers to a trip to McDonald’s, but as I’ve now discovered, so much goes on behind the scenes to make it all possible.
  Whether it’s for a hangover cure, a quick coffee, or a family meal, the fast food restaurant has become a household name if you fancy a treat - but most people have no idea how it all works.
  Having digested countless Big Macs over recent years, the opportunity to spend time working behind the scenes at the recently opened 24-hour restaurant in Skelton was one I couldn’t miss.
  Two hours donned in full uniform saw me taking orders at the drive thru, frying chips, cooking quarter pounders and marvelling at some of the technology that helps speed things up.
  The drive thru system is closely monitored on a timer, trays of meat bleep to let staff know they need to be wasted and replaced and drinks machines can even make soft drinks on their own.
  My guide for the first stint in the kitchen was crew trainer Dan Mortimer, a young man who has aspergers - a form of autism - but says McDonald’s has been great for him and given him confidence.
  Staff have to wash their hands every 30 minutes and sign off whenever they do, which McDonald’s says is safer than wearing gloves.
  Watching Dan make a Big Mac at the prepping station seemed simple enough - or so I thought. Two quick orders flashed up on the screen and it was my time to shine!
  Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about my time spent in McDonald’s was the drive thru - so much technology makes it as efficient as possible.
  Well the answer is the system takes a picture of you when you order - something I was slightly alarmed to find out given some of the states I’ve looked when pulling up at the ordering point!