Why Drive-Through Franchises are Thriving During COVID-19
If you can believe it, there are a number of restaurant franchises that are thriving during the pandemic. While many other restaurant concepts have struggled to optimize their delivery experience, fast food is operating from a position of strength with its well-established ‘drive-thru’ franchise concept. According to MotleyFool and QSRMagazine, McDonald’s and Wendy’s have both reported that 90 percent of their sales have now come from their ‘drive thru’. Burger King has reported an increase of 28 percent in the third quarter as it converted a number of single-lane drive-thru restaurants to double lanes.
Without having to leave the car or wait more than five minutes, the ‘drive-thru’ has been a critical lifeline to fast food chains across the country. It’s a process customers are familiar and comfortable doing with very little contact, and fast-food chains have reduced that contact even further with long bins to deliver your food at a safe distance, and card readers that do not require button pressing. As outdoor activities are on the rise, people need to quickly access food on the go.
According to CNBC, Taco Bell’s second quarter this year reported it served an additional 4.8 million cars through drive-thru lanes compared with a year earlier. Taco Bell has responded to this change with unveiling a new store-front ‘Go Mobile’ design featuring larger, additional ‘drive thru’ lanes with one being for pre-made orders online, a parking lot for curbside pickup, and encouraging users to order on the app ahead of time with incentives of a points reward system.
These changes will likely be coming to YUM Brands’ sister franchise KFC soon, and are spreading throughout the fast-food franchise world. Wendy’s CEO Todd Penegor has told analysts during its recent earnings conference call the fast-food chain has "a new appetite to look at drive-thru-only restaurants," while Taco Bell is planning on the new design to start in 2021 and retrofit existing restaurants into the new design while working with franchisees on building their own versions.
Below are some of the top fast-food franchises offering ‘drive-thru.’