Drive Thru: Is It Worth It for Your Restaurant?
The drive thru is already quite popular at large fast food chains and keeps gaining ground. And it's no wonder: people's routines are hectic and they're looking for options for a quick meal.
In fact, convenience is one of the main advantages of this system, and that can help win over more customers. But is it really worth setting up a drive thru at your restaurant?
To arrive at an answer, you need to consider a few factors. Keep reading this article to learn everything about the subject!
What is a drive thru?
The term “Drive thru” came from the abbreviation of “drive through” — literally, driving through or driving by.
It's a service model in which the customer can place and pick up an order without leaving the car. In other words: they really do drive through the restaurant and leave with a meal ready to eat wherever they like — at home, at work or even in the vehicle itself.
So it's a practical, fast option for anyone who doesn't want to — or can't — waste time. See how it works below!
How does the drive-thru system work?
The drive thru system is very common at large fast food chains. It works like this:
- Entry: The customer arrives at the location in their car and joins the drive-thru line.
- Order: When their turn comes, the customer places the order through an intercom or using a Self-Service Kiosk.
- Payment: Once the order is complete, payment is made.
- Pickup: After payment is confirmed, the customer drives to a designated area and waits until the order is ready.
- Handoff: The order is handed over by a restaurant employee directly at the customer's car.
You can operate exclusively as a drive thru or also open the dining room for customers who want to eat on site. Some establishments run the drive thru only at specific times, such as late at night.
What's the difference between drive-thru, delivery and take away?
Although they share similarities — mainly practicality and convenience — drive-thru, delivery and take away are distinct service models. Here's the difference:
- Drive-thru: The customer places the order and picks it up on site, without leaving the car.
- Delivery: The order is placed by phone, app or website and delivered to the customer's address.
- Take away: The customer places the order and picks it up on site to eat somewhere else. Some restaurants also accept Take away orders by phone, website or apps — in this case, the customer has to travel to the location to pick the order up.
Now that you understand the differences between drive thru, delivery and take away, keep reading to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of the drive thru!
Also check out: Dark kitchen: discover the advantages and learn how to set one up
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the drive thru?
To assess whether it's worth setting up a drive thru at your restaurant, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this service model. Learn more below!
Advantages of the drive thru
As we mentioned earlier, the practicality and convenience for customers is one of the main advantages of the drive thru. This can contribute to the growth of your customer base and, consequently, to sales growth.
Another advantage is the low operating cost, since there's no need to keep the dining room open and waiters serving tables — unless you run a hybrid operation. There's also no need to pay fees and commissions, as there is with delivery.
Finally, the establishment can also extend its operating hours, keeping only the drive-thru open with a reduced team overnight, for example.
Disadvantages of the drive thru
The biggest disadvantage of the drive thru is the high implementation cost, since the location must have the proper infrastructure in place.
The physical space needs to accommodate a line of cars and also include a waiting and pickup area. On top of that, you need to invest in signage and technologies such as intercoms or self-service kiosks.
Another disadvantage of the drive thru is that the operation has to be extremely fast in order to produce orders quickly while maintaining quality and customer satisfaction.
That's why it's recommended to invest in process automation and team training. Done this way, the drive thru can deliver an excellent return.
Below are some points to take into account to figure out whether this model makes sense for your restaurant.
When is it worth offering a drive-thru at your restaurant?
Although it has been around for decades, the drive thru gained traction during the Covid-19 pandemic and became a trend. Even restaurants that don't do fast food started operating this way and got good results.
But the viability of the drive-thru depends on several factors, and you need to take them into account to make the right choice and not end up in the red. After all, as we saw, the investment can be high and may not pay off.
So, to know whether it's worth setting up a drive-thru at your restaurant, assess points such as:
- Location: The restaurant should be located in an area with good vehicle traffic and easy access.
- Target audience: The restaurant's target audience should care about convenience and speed.
- Type of cuisine: The restaurant's cuisine should be suited to drive-thru service, with food that can be served in packaging, holds the right temperature and has no risk of spilling during the trip.
- Competition: It's important to analyze the presence of other restaurants with drive-thru in the area.
- Profitability: The restaurant should have a solid track record of profitability to cover the costs of implementation and operation.
By carefully analyzing these factors before investing, drive-thru can be an excellent option for restaurants looking to increase sales, offer convenience to customers and stand out in the market.
How do you set up a drive thru?
To set up a drive thru, detailed planning is essential — defining:
- Layout and signage
- Required equipment
- Service flow
- system
It's also worth developing a menu specifically for the drive-thru, with options that fit the logistics and the Wait time. Priorize itens fáceis de montar, embalar e que mantenham a qualidade por um tempo maior.
On top of that, create promotions and exclusive combos to attract customers and drive sales.
Once those decisions are made, thorough team training is essential. The team must be ready to run the drive-thru efficiently and courteously. That includes fast, accurate service techniques, use of the systems and equipment, and procedures to guarantee food quality.
Finally, choosing the right technology is very important to guarantee speed and efficiency in service.
EPOC is a restaurant platform with a range of solutions that can contribute to the success of your drive thru: POS, ERP, digital menu, self-service kiosks, payments and much more! Get in touch with our consultants and find out how we can help.
