McMeltdown: McDonald’s hit by global IT outage, restaurants impacted

Ben Cost
·2 min read
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McDonald's restaurants around the globe were forced to shutter and/or suspend online orders following a computer system failure that affected outlets in the United States, China, Australia and New Zealand.
McDonald's restaurants around the globe were forced to shutter and/or suspend online orders following a computer system failure that affected outlets in the United States, China, Australia and New Zealand.

Their computer system was Mc-Done-alds.

McDonald’s restaurants around the globe were forced to suspend online orders following a computer system failure that impacted outlets in the United States, China, Australia and other countries.

“We are aware of a technology outage, which impacted our restaurants; the issue is now being resolved,” the burger giant said in a statement.

The cause of the issue also has yet to be determined. However, the Golden Arches declared that it was not related to a “cybersecurity event,” dispelling speculations that the corporation may have been targeted by McHackers.

The outage impacted restaurants as far apart as the US, Australia and the UK. AP
The outage impacted restaurants as far apart as the US, Australia and the UK. AP

The disruption reportedly affected the mobile apps and self-ordering kiosks at many stores, forcing customers to order online instead, the South China Morning Post reported.

Among the most impacted was Japan, which boasts almost 3,000 McDonald’s branches — the third most behind China and the United States.

“There is currently a system failure,” McDonald’s Japan wrote in an X post Friday morning. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and ask that you please wait for a while until the service is restored.”

An outage notice at the entrance to a McDonald’s restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra on March 15, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
An outage notice at the entrance to a McDonald’s restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra on March 15, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

Hong Kong outlets were similarly impacted by the McMeltdown.

“Due to a computer system failure, the mobile ordering and self-ordering kiosks are not functioning,” McDonald’s wrote at 2.30 pm Friday on its HK Facebook page, per the SCMP. “Please order directly at the restaurant counter. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

Other affected countries included the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan, although the exact number of restaurants worldwide remains unclear.

The fast food firm currently boasts over 41,800 stores worldwide, with nearly 13,500 in the United States, which remains its biggest market.

The company reported that its system had been restored in Hong Kong, the UK, and Ireland while McDonald’s Australia claimed that most of its restaurants have since reopened.