McDonald’s drive-thrus have looked the same for decades. You pull up, order food, get handed a bag, and drive off.

The Golden Arches were long a sign that a cheap, quick and filling meal was just one highway exit away, but McDonald’s aficionados know that cheap is no longer part of a trip through the drive-thru.

The transition from traditional voice ordering to touch-enabled kiosks marks a significant transformation in the quick-service restaurant industry. For decades, the McDonald’s drive-thru has been a ...