Pandemic Sparks Drive-Thru Construction

Though one day the 2020 Pandemic will be a distant memory, there will be plenty of reminders of the year we all want to forget.

The pandemic has made it necessary to operate in different ways, one of which is in the food service industry, specifically when it comes to fast food restaurants.

With limited seating, or in some cases dining rooms that are closed completely, the drive-thru has become the way people get their meals.

For this reason, new drive-thru construction across the country has. increased dramatically.

The pandemic has made it apparent restaurant chains need faster order time and the ability to be more accurate. Arby's officials say they have been serving 50% more cars and have needed to act.

Improvements to drive-thru setups include new menus, wider lanes, multiple windows and more.

Many restaurants are also helping delivery services like UberEats and GrubHub with pickup lanes so drivers can get in and out easier.

Expanding an existing location with a new or additional drive-thru lane is also very difficult and time consuming. 

Construction on many of these drive thru lanes for restaurants have begun and are expected to continue into 2021.

Analysts expect consumers to return to dining rooms when the pandemic is over however, they also say the public will likely continue pandemic-related behaviors, requiring businesses to maintain pandemic-style provisions including online ordering, delivery, and health measures including masks, gloves, and plexiglass dividers.

That means there will be more pressure on the drive-thru, and many chains have been incorporating new technology to better serve customers.

New technology includes digital menu boards that not only present items but help restaurants collect important data to help predict consumer behaviors.

Restaurant Brands International plans to modernize 10,000 drive-thrus across Burger King and Tim Hortons locations by mid-2022 by installing 40,000 digital screens.

McDonald's is testing ways for customers to make easier and faster payments using Dynamic Yield digital menu boards and is also testing automated order-takers.