The McDonald's of the Future Is ... in Australia?

At the McDonald’s restaurant in Martin Place in downtown Sydney, building your own gourmet burger is just like withdrawing cash from an automatic teller machine.

With a few swipes of a touchscreen at the entrance of the restaurant, diners can pick their style of bun (brioche or baker’s), choose a gourmet topping (including crispy bacon, grilled pineapple, and guacamole) and be served their creation with a choice of salad or fries in a metal basket on a wooden platter. It's not the McDonald's experience Americans are familiar with, and after six straight quarters of falling same-store sales in the U.S., the fast-food chain is looking for success stories overseas they might be able to emulate in their largest market.