FUTURE OF FOOD: McDonald’s files trademark for metaverse ‘virtual restaurant’

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Facebook Marketplace is so 2021.

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McDonald’s has filed trademarks to set up a virtual restaurant in the metaverse.

The world’s largest fast-food chain, which has more than 39,000 locations in more than 100 countries, claims it will be able to deliver food online and to your door.

The 10 trademark applications were sent to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 4, covering both their McDonald’s restaurants and McCafé, reported Forbes.

One of the trademarks was for “virtual food and beverage products,” including NFTs, while another specified “operating a virtual restaurant online featuring home delivery.”

McDonald’s also trademarked entertainment services and events using both McDonald’s and McCafé names and include “online actual and virtual concerts.”

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It will reportedly take around eight months before the trademark requests are approved.

The requests from McDonald’s follow Panera Bread’s filing a day earlier, in which the fast casual bakery-café chain will offer “virtual restaurants and cafés” under the “Paneraverse” brand.

Panera requested to trademark its downloadable virtual food and beverage items “for use in virtual worlds,” along with NFTs and the option to purchase goods in the virtual world to be delivered in real life.

McDonald’s and Panera Bread join Nike, Walmart and Sketchers, who have all made similar filings in the past three months.

“When you see this critical mass of large companies making this many new trademark filings, it’s very clear this is coming,” Josh Gerben, a trademark lawyer whose firm tracks new trademark filings daily, told Forbes.

“I think you’re going to see every brand that you can think of make these filings within the next 12 months,” he continued. “I don’t think anyone wants to be the next Blockbuster and just completely ignore a new technology that’s coming.”