With the global health crisis spilling into 2021, we are still witnessing changed consumer behavior and instability in the restaurant industry. The dining room restrictions and limitations resulted in the closure of many restaurants. For the survivors, it’s a new world thanks to drive-thru innovation.

Fuelled by the intelligent adoption of technology, quick service restaurants, and drive-thrus dominated the restaurant space. The experts predict that drive-thrus will boost sales in 2021 and beyond.

Statistics Reflect Higher Sales

According to the NPD Group, fast-food chains dominated the restaurant market for the 12 months ending in March, collecting 70.2% of dollars spent eating out and 82.9% of all restaurant traffic. During the same period, consumers spent about $281.6 billion on fast food – which gained the 7.1% of market share by dollars that the full-service restaurants shed. (Russ, 2021)

Moving forward in 2021, the number of visits at food restaurants nationwide grew by 33.06% between January 1 and April 30.

The drive-thru was a superstar and proved to be one of the safest ways to get favorite foods in customers’ hands. Thanks to its quick service, it was an ideal go-to option for many police officers, health care, and frontline workers for picking up food on their way to work, especially during the nationwide lockdown period last year.

Fast Casual Restaurant Chains Adapt to Change

The industry is ready to adopt the change faster than we expected. The fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, KFC, etc., are making robust growth plans to upgrade existing drive-thrus and add additional lanes. Last year’s pandemic has unleashed a substantial shift in the drive-thru space, unlike any seen in decades.

McDonald’s is planning to test a new drive-thru technology providing a faster experience to customers. Services like automated order taking, a new drive-thru express pick-up lane with digital ordering, and a restaurant concept that offers drive-thru delivery and takeaway will be up for offer to customers. (Wolfe, 2020)

Similarly, Chick-fil-A encourages guests to order and pay via their website or the app for an even more convenient drive-thru experience. Guests can place their orders ahead and pick up their meals through curbside delivery or the drive-thru.

Shake Shack plans to add its first drive-thru format this year, while Chipotle is pivoting its entire portfolio to “Chipotlanes”. (Kelso, 2020)

Other known fast-food chains like Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, KFC, etc., are also launching new drive-thru-dominated restaurant models. Some of these models will altogether not include a dining room, and others prioritize mobile-ahead and delivery orders via a dedicated drive-thru lane. (Kelso, 2020)

Five Drive-Thru Innovations Boosting Restaurant Sales

1. Digital Solutions To Increase the Speed-of-service

For fast-casual, QSR, and drive-thru restaurants, speed is everything. Speed of service solutions leverage sensor-based data to accurately measure the speed of service, automate orders and provide real-time visualization of drive-thru traffic. It enables fast-casual restaurants to continue to deliver a customized, higher-quality dining experience that their customers come looking for. These measures ultimately give heightened customer experience at drive-thru lanes. (Doan, Fast Casual)

2. Advanced Drive-Thru Communications Systems

Customers waiting for their food order in drive-thru lanes are both hungry and in a hurry. With the influx of more customers ordering at a drive-thru since last year, the restaurant operators needed more innovative technology and tools to keep the line moving fast.

Companies like HME, Panasonic, and Partech offer advanced wireless drive-thru communications systems to help take orders correctly the first time around, improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. It’s a necessity for any drive-thru, and the adoption of modern technology guarantees better service outcomes.

3. Digital Timers

The service speed is essential for any drive-thru restaurant. A few seconds delay may sound insignificant, but customers arriving during busy hours like breakfast or lunch know the difference. For them, every second matters. Advanced timers offered by brands like HME and Partech are one of the modern ways to address speed issues. These timers provide a graphical presentation of a live situation in your drive-thru, number of cars, order details, time in play through digital screens. It empowers the operators to run their tasks more effectively by giving signals when orders are on time or delayed as per company programmed time goals. It’s powerful restaurant technology.

4. Digital Menu Boards

Digital menu boards used at 23% of locations across the US have brought down drive-thru times by approximately 12.3 seconds, as reflected in the study by SeeLevelHX. (Lucas, 2020) The outdoor digital menus have streamlined operations, boosted sales, and delivered an enhanced customer experience. Restaurant operators are now exploring the options of smart menu boards, automated ordering, and payment, automatic and intuitive voice assistants, contactless payments powered by facial recognition, etc.

5. Automated Order Confirmation Systems

By leveraging these new systems, fast-casual restaurants can engage with guests while they are placing orders. It also enables the managers to address stock-outs and promote items with excess inventory proactively. Integrating it with the restaurant’s point of sale (POS) system can improve order accuracy by multiple folds. (Doan, Fast Casual)

The Right Time is Now

Now is the time to adopt high-tech restaurant service delivery tools. While the 1950s marked the beginning of the fast-food age with drive-thru lanes gaining popularity, 2020 and onwards can genuinely define the technology of drive-thru lanes. It empowers fast-casual restaurants and drive-thru lanes to serve on-the-go digitally advanced consumers who demand both quality food and high-speed service.

Technology IS the competitive edge in the restaurant business. In the year of the drive-thru, what is your plan to exceed your customers’ expectations?

About Business Sound & Communication

With over 30 years specializing in drive-thru technology, Business Sound & Communication is an authorized sales, service and installation resource for Panasonic, HME, PAR, and Mood Media. From speakers, timers and POS systems, to digital menu boards, we’ve got your restaurant covered with the latest in technology.

Works Cited

Russ, H. (2021, April 30). U.S. fast-food chains cash in, seize market share during pandemic. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/us-fast-food-chains-cash-seize-market-share-during-pandemic-2021-04-30/.

Wolfe, A. (2020, December 11). McDonald’s New Growth Strategy Leverages 3Ds. Hospitality Technology. https://hospitalitytech.com/mcdonalds-new-growth-strategy-leverages-3ds.

Kelso, A. (2020, December 30). What Does The Restaurant Industry Look Like In 2021 And Beyond? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciakelso/2021/12/30/what-does-the-restaurant-industry-look-like-in-2021-and-beyond/?sh=701e7cad26a4.

Lucas, A. (2020, October 1). Drive-thru times at fast-food chains slow by nearly 30 seconds as demand soars during pandemic, study finds. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/01/drive-thru-times-slow-by-nearly-30-seconds-as-demand-soars-study.html.

Kelso, A. (2020, August 12). Drive-thru usage up 43% since April, study finds. Restaurant Dive. https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/drive-thru-usage-up-43-since-april-study-finds/583344/

Doan, J. (2017, October 31). 3 ways to open a (drive-thru) window of opportunity for fast casuals. www.fastcasual.com. https://www.fastcasual.com/blogs/3-ways-to-open-a-drive-thru-window-of-opportunity-for-fast-casuals/.