McDonald’s announced roughly $8.5 billion in franchisee support on Sept. 23, 2026, including about $5 billion through 2030 and the remainder through 2036; its NEXT program plans to expand ArchIQ AI for drive-thru orders.
The $8.5 billion is to be delivered as rent relief and capital assistance, not as a standalone technology budget. ArchIQ is McDonald’s generative-AI restaurant platform, designed to support drive-thru order-taking and simplify kitchen workflows. The company projects the wider NEXT program will generate about 250 basis points of gross restaurant-level efficiency, or roughly $100,000 in annual cash flow per average U.S. location; these are company targets, not independently verified results. Management is considering bowls, grilled chicken and egg bites; it projects new openings to contribute about 2.5% to systemwide sales growth in 2027, tapering to about 2% by 2030.
Franchisee uptake and traffic remain challenges: Reuters reported that remodeling an average U.S. location could cost at least $1.2 million, and McDonald’s rent relief will not cover all of it. CNBC reported the recent under-$3 value menu reached only about two-thirds of U.S. franchisees. CNBC also reported U.S. same-store sales grew 0.8% in the second quarter, down from 2.5% a year earlier, while guest counts declined. McDonald’s warned traffic in key markets could remain flat amid elevated inflation; shares fell as much as 6.5% during trading after the announcement.
