Article · January 1, 2024

On the Road and In the Drive-Thru Lane Again - Chute Gerdeman

Some claim drive-thru as we knew it is gone. But has it really changed? How can QSR and Fast Casual brands differentiate in a crowded field?

On the Road and In the Drive-Thru Lane Again [vc_row padding_top_multiplier=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]I’m becoming an accidental SME on drive-thru experiences. Not necessarily because I’m part of a team of restaurant designers, though it helps. As it happens, I’ve been a nomad for over a month.

A traveling road-tripper living state-to-state, happily making my way south from Ohio to the Carolinas, then north and west through the Great Smoky Mountains into Tennessee and Kentucky. I follow the advice of scientists and doctors. Like the majority of Americans, I’m not interested in an indoor dining experience quite yet.

But a fella’s gotta eat on the road, right? What’s really happening out there? Like me, everyone is going to the drive-thru.

It’s the preferred option in 2020.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][movedo_quote quote_style=”line”]“When COVID hit and our lobbies were closed, the drive-thru shops saved us.” – Levi Hetrick | VP, Shop Experience & Real Estate at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts [/movedo_quote][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]An August 2020 Fast Company article leads with this bold statement: “Thanks to COVID-19, the drive-through as you knew it is gone.” But has it really changed yet? The data suggests upward movement for drive-thru business, per the Fast Company investigation: “According to one recent poll, 74% of Americans have visited a drive-through the same amount or more often than usual this year.” I can attest to this. Drive-thru lines (or “stacks”) are ridiculously long.

Case in point: In South Carolina, I sat in a Starbucks drive-thru waiting for my mobile order for over 40 minutes. For a coffee I had ordered on my phone. In Louisville, KY, I waited in line at Wendy’s for a solid 30 minutes before my patience wore thin and I bolted.

So we’re waiting for our combo meals and burritos and lattes, longer than ever before. Many major QSR and Fast Casual brands are making significant strides to address the accelerated issue of the drive-thru. Everyone from Taco Bell to Starbucks to Shake Shack is thinking hard and investing in efforts to turn this challenge into an opportunity to differentiate in a crowded field.[/vc_column_text][movedo_empty_space][movedo_single_image image=”29943″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To get some insider knowledge, I turned to a partner and friend with first-hand knowledge.

Levi Hetrick is VP, Shop Experience & Real Estate at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and has responsibility for the chain’s doughnut shops and drive-thrus. His take was illuminating on several fronts: “When COVID hit and our lobbies were closed, the drive-thru shops saved us. We were able to do as well (and in some select cases better) with drive-thru only vs fully open stores last year.

There are a bunch of potential reasons for that (solid marketing, pent-up demand for comfort food, limited alternatives so guests didn’t mind the wait so much). We had already started an effort to rethink our drive-thru to enhance guest experience and improve speed of service, but this environment has compelled us to prioritize that work. I have seen quite a few examples from KFC, Taco Bell, Burger King, and others on how they are completely rethinking the footprint of the building and drive lanes to enhance throughput, all of which is very compelling.

That said, I don’t think anyone has really come up with a single solution for the various ways that guests experience a brand – in-shop (full experience), in-shop (grab-go), in-shop (mobile order pickup), drive-thru (new order), drive-thru (mobile order), and delivery. Thinking through the various customer journeys and how we can best meet guest needs across the spectrum of options will be a priority for me as we get into 2021.” [/vc_column_text][movedo_empty_space][movedo_single_image image=”29940″][movedo_empty_space height_multiplier=”custom” height=”6px”][vc_column_text] Photo courtesy of Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp [/vc_column_text][movedo_empty_space][vc_column_text]Hetrick is right. Lots of effort is being expended by every major (and minor) QSR brand out there.

In an August 2020 QSR magazine story, the trade publication outlines the efforts by Chipotle, Starbucks, and that perennial drive-thru favorite, Chick-fil-A. Clearly, better speed is the driving force behind all, but not the only criteria. As Chick-fil-A rightly understands, service and human interaction play a huge part in customer satisfaction.