Rapidly changing consumer behavior patterns are forcing fast-food giants to look for new formats. Thus, one of the main trends on the market is the enlargement of points of order delivery for motorists. The record-breaker here will be the Taco Bell chain, which is preparing to introduce next year’s drive-thru points in the format of four lanes – three will work for delivery of orders made online, and the fourth will be in the classic version with the reception of orders through the operator.
According to Business Insider, Taco Bell will use a contactless system to deliver food from the kitchen upstairs to cars using an elevator. Online users are already comparing the new approach to a toll booth or even a classic gas station.
The consolidation of the drive-thru format began back in 2019. McDonald’s was one of the first to experiment with taking orders through a mobile app. And then, with the arrival of 2020, drive-thru became the primary sales channel for fast-food chains. At first, they accounted for 70% of sales, and then the same McDonald’s said that this figure tends to be 90%.
Against this background of rapidly growing demand, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and McDonald’s began the practice of opening two-lane drive-thru outlets while also beginning to use separate lanes for customers placing orders through the app. The Shake Shack burger chain is also starting to try out a new concept, launching multi-lane drive-thru outlets for the first time.
