FEW outsiders get to see McDonald’s Innovation Center - and not just because it’s so hard to find.

Situated off the Interstate 55 highway a few miles southwest of Chicago, visitors would never know that the building - one anonymous looking warehouse in a sea of similar looking structures - was used by the fast-food group.

The absence of branding and clues to the building’s tenant is deliberate - it is here that McDonald’s works on new technology and equipment (as opposed to food, which is the preserve of Chef Dan), testing it safely away from the prying eyes of rivals.

It is the place where, in the words of one executive, the company “brings the future to life”.

The majority of the inside of the 24,000 sq ft unit is like the sound-stage of a film studio. A more or less empty shell, the layout can be adapted to whatever is being tested.

The division’s 35 permanent staff can knock up test kitchens or service counters that exactly replicate the company’s restaurants.

Current projects include developing a fry station that dispenses salt automatically to create a more consistent taste, a steamer-type gadget to scramble eggs, and self-service computer terminals.

There is little decoration around the place, beyond a portrait of company founder Ray Kroc and a wall adorned with patent certificates for products the company has developed. There are signs at least of a sense of humour; meeting rooms are named after scientists including Einstein and DaVinci.

As with its development kitchen, the company has to be selective about the projects it pursues. Jeff Stratton, McDonald’s chief restaurant officer, said: “You can’t innovate on 40 fronts when the restaurants can only absorb 10. You have to be very careful.”

And even more careful your competitors do not discover what you’re up to.

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