Trends in the Quick Service Market
The Covid pandemic has forced all of us to re-evaluate how best to do business. After fast food dining rooms were closed for months on end, many restaurants came up with other ways to keep their business booming. Whether it is developing a curbside pickup strategy or adding additional lanes, below are a few examples of new quick service concepts.
Eliminating the dining room– Freddy’s Frozen Custard has introduced plans for a new concept store in Salina, KS. The new store has eliminated the dining room all together, has a dual lane drive thru, walk up ordering and an outdoor patio. This is a huge departure from Freddy’s Frozen Custard’s other stores which are more traditional.
Adding drive thru capabilities- Many restaurants that maybe only had dining room or walk-up services have started to consider adding a drive thru intercom. If a restaurant has the space to add a drive thru lane, it should certainly be something to consider. Most restaurants with a drive thru say the majority of their business comes through their drive thru lane.
Expanding drive thru capacity– Many restaurants have decided to pick up the business that they have lost in the dining room, by expanding their drive thru lanes. By adding an additional drive thru lane and using employees that normally would have been servicing the dining room, business can stay moving at an even quicker rate. Burger King has developed a three-lane drive thru concept with one lane dedicated to delivery drivers.
Digital menu boards- In the high-tech world we are all living in, customers may start to expect a sophisticated looking digital menu board when they enter a quick service restaurant. Digital menu boards can be changed constantly by the business and are able to feature specific items with the click of a button.
The customers’ desire for quick and convenient dining options will only be growing from this point on. Some restaurants have already started to make some of the changes above. Sound Products is here to help implement the strategy that is best for your business.
The link below is a great resources to explore the trends in the industry now.