McDonald's Discovers Whataburger -- October 7, 2016

This is really cool. My wife spotted it. I completely missed it when posting the McDonald's story the other day. I see why I missed it. This part was not in the on-line edition. From the print edition of The WSJ article:

McDonald's is testing customizable burger menus in some markets, allowing dinners to select the type of meet, bun and toppings they want from a self-order kiosk and then sit down and wait for an employee to deliver the food to their table. Options include guacamole, grilled onion or bacon. 

That's exactly how Whataburger does things -- except no kiosk. One actually talks to a real person who speaks perfect English, often with a Texas drawl. One orders a hamburger to order, and then you take your drink and find your table. A few minutes later, a Whataburger employee brings you your order along with condiments, and sometimes a complimentary surprise.

Remember this from January 1, 2016?

Head-to-head, Whataburger beat In 'N'Out. (And, of course, after that, there is no competition, though Five Guys would be tough head-to-head.) [The race came down to Five Guys vs Whataburger. Wow. Wow. Wow.]