Drive-thrus have become synonymous with attracting more customers and in turn, boosting revenue. The knee-jerk pandemic-driven changes that restauranteurs made to keep their business afloat happened with drive-thru services. With skyrocketing sales, the drive-thru became the damage control channel for maintaining the restaurant’s revenue. It’s now a key driver in profit.

Being number one in answering the customer experience with speed is depicted in the graph below. Who are you competing with?  

When it comes to drive-thru lanes, what is the big payoff with upgrades in technology? Customers want convenience, choice, personalization, safety, and properly prepared food with a fast experience. 

For restaurant owners, a new year involves much planning. You are not alone if you are evaluating adding a drive-thru lane to your establishment. An average of 50 million Americans visit drive-thrus daily and spend $1200 annually. (Cichelli 2022)

Adding a drive-thru to an existing dining experience is now a priority for restaurant owners. Undoubtedly, having a drive-thru allows you to expand your reach to more customers. Running a restaurant is a complex business, and taking action to add another distribution channel requires deep thinking, robust planning, and well-planned execution. 

Here Are the 5 Things to Consider When Adding a Drive-Thru Lane 

1. Evaluate Local/State Laws and Permitting 

The food business requires permits for cleanliness, supply chain, fire hazard via the kitchen, and staff compliance, amongst others. They must adhere to local or state guidelines concerning drive-thru operations, staff, and food handling. 

Whether opening a drive-thru at a new location or adding it as an extension to your current service offering, ensure that your drive-thru lanes are up to code and guidelines; you want to avoid making costly mistakes resulting in fines or business closures. 

2. Knowledge of Your Demographics

While your dine-in restaurant attracts a certain dine-in client, your consumer base will expand through your drive-thru service. The biggest questions are about your location and your normal peak times. Would your business lunch customers come back for dinner via a drive-thru experience? Ask them. Be prepared to advertise ahead of a big change, like adding a drive-thru lane. 

3. Optimize Your Menu 

Most drive-thrus design their menu so that the meals are prepared to serve as many customers as quickly as possible. If you are adding a drive-thru window as a new service to your existing restaurant, plan a well-balanced selection of meals that are easy to prepare, can be transported, and have high-profit margins. 

For a drive-thru or self-pickup, not all food items are durable or taste well when packed. Are your customers looking for dinner deals? Healthy eating options? Reheatable items? Knowing before you make investments in developing your new menu makes sense.

4. Install The Right Technology 

According to a recent report by The Food Institute, 75% of restaurant operators are likely to adopt new technology in the year ahead, rising to 85% among fine-dining restaurants. (Davis and Phillips 2022)

Whether installing communication equipment, noise-cancellation headset, POS system, digital menu boards, digital timers, or signages for your drive-thru service, finding the right set of devices or tools in a myriad of complex technologies requires knowing what you need and where these resources can be found. 

Customers want to be heard; they want options and the ability to special order, order off the menu, be enticed by imagery, and more. Make sure your technology can handle this level of personalization.

5. Hire Trainable Staff for New Operations 

Working and serving at a drive-thru window requires different skill sets than a dine-in experience, such as cooking in fast-paced kitchen service, handling different types of equipment, food packing rather than plating, customer-facing sales experiences, on-demand payment handling, and more. Sometimes, even the most experienced team member could feel lost when migrating to a new service like a drive-thru. Having a team with a basic technology skillset will create momentum. It’s time to make those strategic equipment decisions. 

Spending quality time in hiring and training can result in a highly motivated and productive team with reduced quality and service concerns. 

Tap the Experts for a Competitive Strategy

The restaurant industry is competitive and in a challenging market, every restaurant operator needs to cultivate engaging customer experiences, follow trends that make sustainable sense, and encourage touch points that grow customer satisfaction. 

Some restaurant operators may find their answer by diversifying a drive-thru option. Drive-thru is growing, and the business model is here to stay. Business Sound & Communications can be your technology resource, providing personalization and convenience to your restaurant clients. 

We are family-owned and operated and have served Houston area independent restauranteurs, franchise restaurants, and national corporate chains for over 25 years. Our expertise gives you a competitive edge with sales and service of drive-thru communications, digital menu boards, timers, scent marketing, surveillance equipment, and more for restaurants and hospitality businesses. 

We represent Panasonic, HME, PAR, communications equipment, MoodMedia for scent, sound and visuals, and ICRealtime for surveillance needs. You can call us at (281) 590-3400. 

Works Cited 

Cichelli, Mae. “How Restaurants Can Improve Their Drive-thru Experiences.” Bluedot, 26 July 2022, https://bluedot.io/blog/how-restaurants-can-improve-their-drive-thru-experiences/.

Davis, Bo, and Roy Phillips. “Where the Restaurant Industry Is Headed (and the Role Technology Will Play) in 2023.” Restaurant Technology News, 28 Nov. 2022, https://restauranttechnologynews.com/2022/11/where-the-restaurant-industry-is-headed-and-the-role-technology-will-play-in-2023/.