McDonald’s Apologizes for Tech Issues at Locations Across Several Countries

McDonald’s (MCD) suffered a widespread “technology outage” Friday across a number of countries, from Australia to the U.K. and Japan, among others.

Some locations closed due to the issue, while others reportedly took orders with a pen and paper and transitioned to all-cash operations until the tech issue was resolved.

“We are aware of a technology outage, which impacted our restaurants; the issue is now being resolved,” a McDonald’s spokesperson told Investopedia. “We thank customers for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

McDonald’s also said the outage was not the result of a “cybersecurity event.”

According to a number of statements across social media and reports from Downdetector, McDonald’s locations or the McDonald’s app experienced issues in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

Customers and McDonald’s employees in Australia told The New York Times that the outage lasted about two hours, and several locations took orders on paper and only accepted cash until the issue was resolved. The McDonald’s Japan account on X, formerly Twitter, said many locations across the country, McDonald’s largest market outside the U.S. and China, had temporarily suspended operations due to the outage.

The issue does not appear to be affecting investors, as McDonald’s stock was nearly unchanged in early trading Friday.

The company’s stock fell earlier this week after an investor conference where Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden said a number of factors had impacted the first months of sales of 2024, and that lower-income consumers are spending less on fast food and other restaurants.