by Lee McMahon     Many people love coffee right now. As a result, many people take advantage of this love for coffee by opening their cafés.Coffee shops are profitable businesses. The top names in the business usually earn 70 percent of the industry’s profits. Larger businesses tend to earn higher profits, but this shouldn’t discourage small business owners from trying their hand at the coffee shop business. You don’t have to start big ASAP. In fact, why not start with a small coffee stand? A drive-thru coffee stand to be exact. DRIVETHRUCITY Drive-thru coffee stands are common retail concepts that...

A pandemic-spurred reality, they will take on a new form, adapting to customer trends. Ghost restaurant owners have a unique marketing responsibility that differs from owners who have a traditional restaurant storefront.  Over the past two years, the pandemic has made a major impact on the restaurant industry and how it has operated. Restaurants have also been able to rapidly evolve in this new climate, quickly adapting to balance customer’s needs and government mandates. One of the most popular trends for consumers is ghost kitchens. DRIVETHRUCITYGhost kitchens are a food and cooking facility set up for preparation of delivery-only meals. There is no...

Award-winning operator Marcus Crawford offers his advice to make it big in one of the industry's hottest battlegrounds. Bro-Ritos was selected as one of the top black-owned eateries in the country.   When I launched the first Bro-Ritos food truck in 2016, my goals were realistic: I wanted to share my delicious burrito recipes with foodies across the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, establish a fun and energetic brand, and cover my bills. DRIVETHRUCITY By mid-2020, even with COVID in full force, I was fortunate to have reached my objectives and I saw that it was possible for me and my two partners to...

This week in restaurant news, Shake Shack and Wendy’s tap drive-thru while Red Robin reevaluates priorities. By PYMNTS  |  January 13, 2023 As restaurants look to offset margin pressure from food and wage inflation, Shake Shack is turning to the drive-thru channel to boost efficiency. In a presentation to investors Tuesday (Jan. 10) as part of the ICR Conference 2023, the fast-casual chain’s CEO, Randy Garutti, discussed the potential of the channel.“We believe that we’re targeting an over $4 million [average unit volume (AUV)],” Garutti said. “There have been many of the current drive-thrus who are run rating higher than...

From automated drive-thru lines to special pickup areas, brands hone the to-go channel. Ron Ruggless | Jan 12, 2023 Order-ahead lanes, automated drive-thru windows and special areas for to-go meal pickups are taking up more space in the ever-expanding off-premises restaurant tool kit in 2023. As pandemic-fueled digital ordering and off-premises habits continued, restaurant brands were incorporating more to-go innovations into their designs. At the end of 2022, McDonald’s unveiled a small-format test concept near Fort Worth, Texas, that incorporates many of the possible new strategies, targeted at the on-the-go consumer and delivery drivers.Full-service concepts like Texas Roadhouse and Black Bear Diner...

  Nancy Luna  McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Panera Bread unveiled new drive-thru tech. Taco Bell said it is testing AI-powered bots at the drive-thru.  Here are 13 chains adding voice bots, robotic fry cooks, and mobile-order express lanes.  McDonald's and Subway recently unveiled new contactless technology for takeout and drive-thru orders. DRIVETHRUCITY The nation's two largest fast food chains in terms of locations are joining a fray of restaurant companies betting big on innovation that involves faster service and fewer humans amid an ongoing labor shortage. Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Domino's are using AI-powered voice bots to take orders, while fast-casual...