The Illusion of Convenience: Why People Wait in Drive-Thrus Convenience is in the eye of the consumer. Dale Hartley MBA, Ph.D.     KEY POINTS Convenience may be real, but our perception of it may not be. Anchoring can create the paradox of saving in behavioral economics. The illusion of convenience can create a paradox of perception and choice. Did you ever notice that fast food drive-thru lanes are a trap? Unless the line is already long and backed up around the curve, you can’t see how many cars are ahead of you. Once you’ve placed your order, you’re blocked...

AI and Drive-Thrus Make a Bad Combo By Christina McAllister, senior analyst, Forrester ResearchIF ANY OF YOU have been on TikTok lately (don’t judge me; it’s research) you might have seen people posting about their experiences with new AI-powered drive-thru. My initial reaction: an eye roll so powerful it might have recalibrated the rotation of the earth.All right, fine, perhaps a bit hyperbolic. But really?I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. After all, quick-service retail companies have been looking for ways to cut labor costs and reduce drive-thru wait times for years. Self-serve ordering kiosks and order-ahead apps have been...

Do you want to start a drive thru business but want to go niche and be unique? If YES, here are some of he best drive thru related business ideas & opportunities for 2023. A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The drive-thru business format was first pioneered in the united states in the 1930s by Jordan Martin. Because of its ready acceptance, the concept wasted no time in getting spread to other countries.   DRIVETHRUCITYDrive-through businesses are all about fast food, fast service and...

Drive-thrus have been a staple for quick service restaurants for decades. In fact, the first true drive-thru restaurant was built in 1947 on Route 66, although several other restaurant brands claim the title as well. Although the drive-thru experience has certainly evolved since then, the foundational goals remain the same: increase speed of service and deliver a convenient experience for your guests. DRIVETHRUCITYIn the past few years, we’ve seen drive-thru traffic increase by 10-20% for many high-volume QSRs. As consumers become more and more tech savvy, restaurant brands are looking for ways to enhance the drive-thru experience. But the challenges for...

Driving Sales Through Drive-Thru Service Takes Detailed Planning Groundbreaking Drive-Thru Concepts and Trends for QSRs DRIVETHRUCITY To successfully boost drive-thru sales through restaurant remodels, foodservice retailers should focus on step-by-step planning and close collaboration, according to HFA Architects and Engineers' Steven Baker.In "Reinventing QSRs — One Square Foot at a Time," an advisory piece for decision-makers in the fast-casual and quick-serve space, the architect and co-leader of HFA's quick-service restaurant (QSR) team notes that chains across the country continue to reconfigure buildings and sites for faster and easier pickup of online orders. However, this comes with significant challenges."Adapting QSRs can...

By Tycoonstory What is a drive-thru beverage? A drive-thru beverage business is the biggest success story during the pandemic for the restaurant industry. It facilitates consumers from picking up food or gravitating to ordering and picking safely from their vehicles. DRIVETHRUCITYWhat do you need to know about starting a drive-thru beverage business?Planning to open a drive-thru beverage business means you must know a lot of things. To begin with:Create a planDeveloping a business plan is the first step of any business. As a start-up, understand the customer base and estimate the revenues and costs. Becoming familiar with the customer base, local competition,...

How To Start A Coffee Trailer Business For Less Than $10 000 Linda | Coffee Companies If you’re thinking of starting a coffee trailer business, you’re probably wondering how much it’s going to cost you. The cost of starting a coffee trailer business can vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and type of trailer you choose, the equipment you need, and the location of your business. Generally speaking, you can expect to spend anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 on your coffee trailer business. Of course, if you’re looking to start a high-end coffee trailer business, you...

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...

By  Phil Harris   The COVID-19 pandemic brought many permanent changes to our lives, especially when it comes to our dining out habits. The NPD Group tracks American restaurant industry trends. They say that between February 2020 through February 2022, delivery orders increased 116% and drive-thru orders were up 20%. DRIVETHRUCITYDrive-thru orders are increasingly becoming the new normal for fast food chains. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Chick-fil-A, Jimmy John’s, Checkers and Rally’s are all focusing more on that part of their business. Some Chick-fil-A locations already allow customers to skip the main drive-thru when using their app in new express...