Drive-thru has become such an integral part of the fast-food experience. Throughout 2020, drive-thru accounted for around 70 percent of total sales at McDonald’s. It is no surprise then that drive-thru has become an important tool in increasing revenue and improving overall service efficiency.

While drive-thru provides an opportunity to increase revenue, the high traffic that comes with increased demand presents its own unique challenges for quick service restaurants (QSRs) to overcome. Some of these challenges include traffic congestion and long wait times.

It seems these issues can be resolved through new technology. QSRs overseas have already started implementing mobile-order drive-thru, which reduces wait times by allowing the customer to order their food on their devices and pick up their food at dedicated mobile-ordering lanes.

Last month, we mentioned facial recognition as a new way that QSRs are personalising the customer experience in store and now, some companies are thinking of ways to bring this personalisation to the drive-thru. These include using software that recognises loyalty program members through Bluetooth or licence-plate recognition, which will trigger things like personalised menu boards, order history or offer deals and discounts when a customer enters the drive-thru. Of course, restaurants will require permission from a customer before offering this service.

It’s great to see technology and equipment driving improvements in service efficiency and the overall customer experience. If you need help financing new equipment, contact us on 03 9420 0011.