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Fast food restaurants going to drive-through only

michaelskis

michaelskis

Cyburbian
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I have seen more and more fast food restaurants completely do away with indoor seating and focus only on a drive-through operation.

As example, this has been circulating the rounds in the traffic engineering world:
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Has your community had any of these convert over? Is anyone putting anything into regulation to address this situation?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mendelman said:
More likely they can't hire enough staff to man the indoor dining room.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking too. Interestingly, the one fast food place near me that I know of that has gone to drive thru or mobile order pick-up only is also a Taco Bell. It's in a pretty safe, upscale neighborhood so I don't think it's a crime thing. Before COVID they were always understaffed and and slow inside and would go to drive thru only after like 7:00 PM every evening. Once COVID hit they went to that format for quite a few years. Now I think they're open inside for lunch but the rest of the day it's drive or mobile pick-up only.

I imagine this is an effective way for a fast food place to cut back on a staff person or three and depending on the location they may have realized there isn't much financial incentive in keeping the dining room open.

FWIW, it's like going into a Subway or Jimmy Johns or some sandwich shop at like noon and then again at 6:30 PM. Those sandwich places are packed at lunchtime with people both eating in the dining area and also takeout orders. Go back at like 6:30 and they may be doing a brisk takeout business but, IME, almost nobody is eating there.

On a planning note... I wonder if switching to a drive-thru only format would be considered a change of use?
 
When 85% of sales go out the window on a regular basis, is there really that much fundamental difference going to 100% out the window?
 
We've had a couple of that have switched over when they can't staff them. A few of our restaurants only operate their lobbies during lunch now with breakfast and dinner being drive-thru only. I know Chick-fil-A has been increasing the number of drive-thru only restaurants fairly significantly. We've also seen an increase in the number of whole franchises that do not have a lobby.
 
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