Bosch Delivers Music for McDonald’s in China

McDonald’s ‘flagships’ are the newest generation of burger restaurants, and they are ‘Made in China’.
They feature menu ordering, delivery to the table, a newly-integrated McDonald's App, WeChat applet member points, mobile payment and electronic menus. These stores boast a stand-alone order- counter on the first floor, an interactive electronic game that uses vertical projection and somatosensory technology to allow kicking of a ‘virtual’ ball on the second floor, and a spiral staircase that connects the two floors. To provide the appropriate auditory ambiance, each restaurant features a world-class commercial sound system, provided from Bosch.

The Art of the Deal
Each of the flagships’ music and public address systems has a Bosch Plena Mixer Amplifier at its heart. This feeds to a LC6-100S-L ceiling mount Compact Sound Speaker System: a complete loudspeaker package, ideal for background and foreground music in restaurants, bars, patios and retail. It consists of a high-performance, ceiling-mount, 8-inch subwoofer module with a crossover network to support the four ceiling mount, 2-inch, satellite speakers. Easy connections at the subwoofer support either 4 ohm or 70/100 volt signals.

For each of the floorplans used by McDonald’s flagship restaurants, Bosch has designed a special configuration of the commercial sound speakers to deliver sound. This was developed using acoustic-modelling software called EASE Address. “With the acoustic analysis we are customizing the sound system for each individual restaurant, to provide nothing but the best sound in each location,” comments one of the Bosch designers.

So how did McDonald’s know that Bosch was the right choice? First, Bosch presented top-class credentials in restaurant sound systems throughout lots of chain restaurants worldwide. Second, McDonald’s decision-makers were invited to Bosch’s experience centre, where they tested a variety of speakers, configurations and accessories. This convinced them that Bosch could deliver more than competing systems.

The ultimate winners are McDonald’s customers. As Ma Lijie, Director of the Development Department for McDonald's China puts it: “McDonald's has invested a lot in background music, because we know that it gives customers good feelings, and good feelings bring more and better business. McDonald’s needs a good music system – and Bosch's wide product range meets our needs very well.”

All McDonald’s flagship restaurants were awarded to Bosch and some smaller restaurants as well. Bosch has been tapped to supply sound systems to many of those that will be built in the coming years – a period when McDonald’s plans to add many new locations in China. These restaurants also will have a Plena Mixer Amplifier at the heart of their sound systems, which will feed to LC4 loudspeakers. Good food, good music – McDonald’s customers will love it.