Fresh Sheet: Mobile McDonald’s

Mobile ordering at McDonald’s is now available in Spokane.

Before McDonald’s rolls out mobile ordering and payment across the country later this year, the fast-casual chain is testing out the technology in Spokane and a couple of other select markets.

Mobile ordering and pay is now available at 51 restaurants in the Inland Northwest as well as 29 locations throughout Monterey and Salinas, California.

These pilot sites are designed to garner customer feedback and help prepare the company for the national launch at McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. locations in the fourth quarter of 2017. Customers can place orders via the mobile app, then go to any participating McDonald’s restaurant to check in, pay in the app, and pick up their food inside the restaurant, drive-thru or curbside delivery.

Geofencing technology built into the app helps McDonald’s employees determine that customers are close by, so their food can be freshly prepared.

“Spokane is proud to pilot this new way for customers to order and pay for their favorite McDonald’s meals,” Spokane owner and operator Mark Ray Jr. said in a news release about the pilot program.

So far, it’s going well in Spokane, where there’s a “high rate of participation,” said spokeswoman Lindsay Kirshenblatt. “Approximately 70 percent of customers who placed a mobile order in the (Spokane) market are using either curbside or front counter” skipping the line.

McDonald’s has more than 36,000 locations in more than 100 countries.

Sukiyaki Dinner is Saturday

Highland Park United Methodist Church is hosting its annual Sukiyaki Dinner on Saturday.

On the menu: senbei crackers, sushi and baked goods. Takeout orders are available.

The dinner runs from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the church, which was established as a Japanese mission church, at 611 S. Garfield St.

Dinner is $15. Call (509) 535-2687 for reservations or more information. On the Web: hp-spokane.org.

Weekend wine road trip

Wineries from Yakima to Prosser, Red Mountain and the Tri-Cities are participating in Spring Barrel Tasting this weekend.

The annual event gives wine enthusiasts a preview of forthcoming vintages as well as a chance to meet winemakers and participate in special events, such as wine dinners.

Some, such as MonteScarlatto Estate Winery in Benton City, are hosting special wine dinners. Many participating wineries can be found at wineyakimavalley.org.

Walla Walla Invitational

This wine-tasting event benefits the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, which has teamed up with Spokane’s Vino wine shop to host the fundraiser.

Taste wines from Walla Walla from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Overbluff Cellars at the Washington Cracker Building, 304 W. Pacific Ave. Tickets are $50 per person for general admission; industry and premier tastings are also available at earlier start times – and higher prices. Tickets are available at wallawallawineinvitational.bpt.me.