McDonald's restaurants around the world unable to serve food after major system outage

15 March 2024, 08:39 | Updated: 15 March 2024, 10:48

McDonald’s customers at branches around the world have been left unable to order food after a major system outage.

Customers in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada have all complained about not being able to order.

One British customer who was unable to order food wrote on Twitter: "Sooooo, for the first time in ages I’m gagging for a nice McMuffin… order online, drive to the McD’s and… you’ve got a country-wide failure?"

Another complained: "Why can I order through the app this morning but all of my local McDonald’s are closed when they are meant to be 24 hours?!"

A third angry customer wrote: “I want my daily egg McMuffin and been turned away by a f****** clown. “ I've eaten here 3 times a day every day since 2007 and they can't lend me a hash browns.”

However the London branch at Leicester Square was operating as normal this morning.

A McDonald's UK spokeswoman said: "We are aware of a technology outage which impacted our restaurants.

"The issue has now been resolved in the UK and Ireland.

"We thank customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

"The issue is not related to a cybersecurity event."

In Japan the company apologised, posting on social media and asking customers to "wait a while" while service was restored.

In Australia customers were being told to pay at the counter. One customer in Sydney told 9News: “An employee asked everyone to pay at the counter.

“She’s telling people who are trying to use the machine that the systems are down so they won’t be able to see their orders come through.”

McDonald’s Australia said in a statement: “We are aware of a technology outage currently impacting our restaurants nationwide and are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

One customer said it was “impossible to buy anything” via drive-through or online.

Customers reported the digital ordering system had crashed.

“Food is still available and you can pay electronically but not via the app it seems,” another customer wrote.

In the UK, a number of customers said on social media that their local restaurants were closed although they were able to make orders through the company's app.

A McDonald's Australia spokesman said it was "aware of a technology outage" currently impacting stores.