Anyone who walks into a McDonald’s is used to being greeted by staff. But that may be starting to change. McDonald’s in China is currently testing robots in uniform. They greet customers, deliver food and move through the restaurant. Why is the company doing this and what could it mean for the future?

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Robots in uniform at McDonald’s

At the opening of a new McDonald’s restaurant in China, customers were surprised. As they walked through the restaurant, they encountered not only staff but also robots wearing company uniforms. You can see what this looked like in the video below.

A McDonald's in Shanghai has begun deploying humanoid robots (from KEENON Robotics) to serve customers.

> These humanoid robots provide information, greet guests, and help enliven the atmosphere.
> Food delivery robots serve meals to customers and collect used trays.

in the… pic.twitter.com/IEFzucz3IE

— CyberRobo (@CyberRobooo) March 18, 2026

Although it might seem like a cost-saving measure, that was not the case. For the McDonald’s restaurant in Shanghai, it was primarily a way to generate attention. And it worked. Images and videos of the robots are now circulating worldwide.

Even in a country that is leading in robotics, it still feels unusual to see them in this context. Especially when they are designed with human-like features. A uniform immediately makes a robot recognizable as an “employee”, even though it is not human. These types of machines are often referred to as humanoid robots.

Jon Banner, a senior executive at the fast-food chain, emphasized that the robots were not involved in actual service or operations. The experiment lasted six days and has now ended.

 

Are robots in uniform the future?

So while the robots in red and yellow uniforms were mainly a publicity stunt, the same does not apply to Keenon Robotics, the company behind them. For them, this is a valuable way to test how such technology performs in real-life environments.

Although McDonald’s stated that the robots did not carry out real tasks, there are already robots elsewhere in China that do. AiMOGA Robotics, for example, has developed robots that function as traffic officers. These robots also wear uniforms and actively guide and warn people, such as when someone is cycling in the wrong lane or parking illegally.

But this is only what consumers can see. In reality, robots are already widely used behind the scenes. Amazon, for instance, operates more than one million robots that help sort inventory and move packages. These machines are not designed to look human, as there is no need. They are not visible to customers, so appearance plays no role.

For manufacturers of uniforms and workwear, the message is clear: be prepared. Within a few years, you may not only be dressing people, but also robots.

 

Want to read more about McDonald’s uniforms?

Also check:

• 17-year-old student designs workwear for Austrian McDonald’s
• New McDonald’s uniforms in China
• McDonald’s employees threaten to quit over new uniform

Greetings,

Aileen