McDonald's to offer free Wi-Fi starting in January
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Food, Technology
Next year could be when free Wi-Fi becomes as ubiquitous as the Dollar Menu thanks to a recent announcement by McDonald's that nearly every Golden Arches location will begin offering free wireless Internet beginning in January. Currently, the service, costs $2.95 for 2 hours of service at 11,000 McDonald's restaurants across the country, but come January it will be as free as the McDonald's PlayPlace playgrounds.Offering free Wi-Fi is clearly a move to pull in more coffee shop clientele, who would normally search for a Starbucks, Panera and other non-fast-food locations that offer free Wi-Fi in one form or another. Panera and many other coffeehouses offer a free connection to anyone who walks in the door and Starbucks since 2008 has provided free wireless to anyone who makes a purchase once a month.
Whether or not a Big Mac is your favorite food, you can't argue with the convenience of free Wi-Fi at thousands of locations; many close to busy interstate highways. While exits in bigger cities are sure to have a coffeehouse or Starbucks close by; anyone traveling a long stretch of mid-Western asphalt will be happy to know that their next Internet fix is only a pair of Golden Arches away.
It's clear from past advertising, like the video shown below, that McDonald's wants coffee shop customers but not necessarily the coffee shop "hipsters." But the chain better be prepared to deal with another coffee shop regular come January; the Wi-Fi squatter who, most certainly, won't want fries with that.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-16-2009 @ 9:20PM
Diana said...
McDonalds has the best sweet tea around! I won 50.00 on the recent scratch off game from a sweet tea. Keep up the good work McDonalds.
Diana in Florida
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12-16-2009 @ 9:21PM
nana7 said...
great, but now if only they would treat their employees with respect. Right now all cashiers are under threat of being fired because customers change their orders. Yes, anytime you change or add onto order or up size it goes against cashier.. Know what you want before you order, we need our jobs.. Make sure you have the money for what you are ordering.. Don't ask me for total, keep track of what you are ordering.. Imagine going to work everyday in fear that when a customer decides to change his/her order you might be fired that day.. We are watched on camera, every move we make is recorded, yet, owners say we must be stealing if you change your order.. McD, is the worst fast food company to work for.. We live under threat of being fired dqily, they say they don't need a reason to fire you..
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12-17-2009 @ 4:59PM
Monica said...
I'm inclined to believe this is true of the franchise you work at, but not a company policy nationwide.
12-18-2009 @ 12:49PM
De said...
That is the biggest bunch of hooey I've ever heard. As someone who's worked in McDonald's for years, I have never heard something so far off the mark.
I *do* know that there are some people who work behind the cash register at McDonald's and many other places who are too lazy to do their job and think the customer is a bother or there to help the employee. It is a *service* industry, nana7, and that means the *cashier* serves the *customer*. You have a tray full of bills, pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters to give change to the customer. You have a "cancel" button on the register for changing orders. It's people like you who give the service industry a bad name. Go work in a factory somewhere if you're not the type of person to cheerfully help people and work to make their visit to your store a pleasant one!
12-17-2009 @ 4:59PM
Chef Alfred Schrader said...
NANA7 - I suggest comb through the help wanted ads. Al.
12-16-2009 @ 9:52PM
hookmrl said...
yea best grease burgers in town
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12-16-2009 @ 9:21PM
Chris said...
Last time I brought my laptop to a Mc Donkeys I assumed the wifi was free like it is in most places these days. Hell even most nicer hotels offer it for free. When I powerd up and came to a screen asking me to pay for it, I packed up and left without making a food purchase.
Sometimes trying to squeeze extra money out of a customer will backfire and result in NO money from a customer. I understand they have to pay for the internet but internet these days is like $50 and a router from walmart walmart is $20.
Glad to see they realized this and are making it free.
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12-16-2009 @ 9:21PM
Roger said...
I will never understand why coffee shops and now Panera and Mcdonalds think it is a good business practice to provide free Wi-Fi. I see these squatters occuping the choice booths at prime lunch times. They are obviously set up for the long haul with papers, books and spread sheet materials. They are usually nursing one coffee or tea. Count me in to the lost customer group when I see free Wi-Fi on the door. Wi-Fi should require a fee or at least be confined to off peak hours.
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
Kevin said...
Where are those locations?So I don't have to search.
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
reuben Sushman said...
In the UK they call the squatters "zombies." I think this is very appropriate.
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
kenny said...
Keep up the good work McDonalds i really enjoy the laptop that i found at a McDonalds in San Diego Ca.about 6 mos ago it works great
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
Anthony said...
Frankly, I'd never go to McDonalds for wifi. If the service is even good, I don't want to risk a clumsy kid spilling some sticky drink on my laptop, or getting all the grease and junk on it from the tables. Starbucks are not hard to find, and they provide a wonderful atmosphere.
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
Mary said...
McDonalds used to offer free wifi (at least in our town) when it first came out. Now that it doesn't, I started going to the nearby Burger King, which does offer free wi-fi, since I can't get wi-fi at home. McDonald's is now going back to free wi-fi....maybe too late in my case.
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
Mel said...
Wifi has always been free at all of the local McDonalds here. However I cant really think of a time I have seen too many people use it. If anything they need to work on the quality of employees they have. I can think of only once or twice they have actually gotten my order right, and that is every McDonalds I have been to all over the country. All my fiancee and I order are 2 McChickens (no mayo), 2 McDoubles, 2 large fries and 2 large Dr Peppers. Is that really that hard??? I think not. Maybe if you spent less time chatting and a little more time working, you would have satisfied customers.
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
Shawn said...
BRING BACK THE MCRIB!!!
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
mark said...
yeah stay in McDonalds for longer thats what you need. fatten you up and make you stay on the computer even longer
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12-17-2009 @ 4:58PM
pete said...
Aint nothin' free. Your 99 cent breakfast just went up to $1.99, and everything else just went up 20%
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12-17-2009 @ 4:59PM
freaksforum.com said...
Chris,
Maybe you should pony up and get wireless internet instead of bitching about what Mac's does with their internet.
Cheap bastid.
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12-17-2009 @ 4:59PM
alex said...
awesome..as a college student who carries a laptop most of the time I think its great..especially since theres a mcd's near campus so since I never go since im busy now I can grab lunch and work at the same time
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12-17-2009 @ 4:59PM
jon said...
FREE WI-FI?
What free wi-fi? Starbucks in Hawaii charge you to use it's wi-fi! I'm sure McDonalds will follow suit..... there's not even a dollar menu at locations in Wakiki. Infact, in Honolulu I bought a $1 Mcdouble for $1.49 the other day! This is the way all fast food is out here in paradise. Pizza Hut, KFC, Domino's,,,(just look at the fine print at the bottom of every commercial)
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