Is All Fast-Food Dining Set To Become Drive-Thru?

Despite a push for people to eat healthier, fast food continues to be popular with Americans. In fact, there are nearly 200,000 of these restaurants in the US, with over a third of people enjoying this food on any given day. With that in mind, it might not be a huge surprise to hear that this industry may be about to revolutionize.

There are indications that in the near future, an increasing number of fast-food restaurants could be moving towards being drive-thru only. This is in response to several notable changes over the years, all of which could change the face of this industry forever. Might we be approaching the day when all fast-food restaurants permanently shun inside dining?

Drive-thrus proved to be incredibly popular during recent years

The drive-thru is not a new concept. It’s been around since 1948 when In-N-Out Burger introduced its first restaurant with this feature. Since then, it’s become a convenient way for people to order their food on the go without having to worry about finding a parking space. It was particularly useful when the global health crisis hit in 2020. According to a report by Revenue Management Solutions, 90% of quick-service restaurant orders were made at drive-thrus during the height of this crisis. Inside dining wasn’t an option at many places, so the drive-thru feature made it easy to buy fast-food without worrying so much about other people’s germs. Interestingly, that figure hasn’t dropped much in the years since. 

Drive-thrus still account for 75% of a fast-food restaurant’s profits

Apparently, three-quarters of the average fast-food restaurant’s profits still come from the drive-thru. While that might be less than it was several years ago, most people are still opting to order from their car rather than dine inside. It makes you question just how necessary it is for these restaurants to offer a place to sit down and eat. There may be several reasons why drive-thrus continue to be so popular. With many people moving from cities to suburbs following the increase in remote working, there are more drivers on the road. Plus, people seem to have less of a desire for socializing. Apparently, alone time for the average American now reportedly accounts for over 50% of their day. If talking to others isn’t what people want, the drive-thru may seem like the superior option with fast-food dining. 

Automation in fast-food restaurants has increased in recent years

Something else that may be facilitating an increase in drive-thru services is the rise of automation in fast-food restaurants. While this was already happening before the global health crisis, the events of 2020 certainly fast-forwarded things. After all, that year saw swathes of employees leave their posts, forcing many restaurants to adopt automation in order to keep turning a profit.  Some of the technology that these establishments now use include self-ordering kiosks and artificial intelligence voice assistants. Not every fast-food place has adopted such high-tech additions, nor are they all used for drive-thrus. However, their presence can certainly make ordering food from the car even more efficient. Plus, now that these establishments have adopted such technology, it’s unlikely that they’re ever going to look back. 

The focus on drive-thru dining is becoming clear with many fast-food restaurants

So, what does this all mean for the future of fast-food dining? To answer that question, it might be worth looking at some of the newer restaurants being established in the US. An excellent example is the Taco Bell Defy restaurant, which opened in Minnesota’s Brooklyn Park in 2022. It covers four lanes and delivers the food to drivers through food elevators, which means human interaction isn’t essential. Even fast-casual establishments, which tend to avoid the fast-food label, have started adopting the drive-thru feature in an effort to increase profits. The majority of Chipotle’s newest locations come with a drive-thru, and they’re apparently generating 15% more sales than those without one. With money usually the biggest motivator for a company’s actions, it’s easy to imagine that these profits will shape the future of such restaurants.

Considering everything that’s happened in recent years, it’s perhaps not hard to believe that more restaurants like the Taco Bell in Brooklyn Park might become the norm. Maybe the removal of inside dining at fast-food restaurants might not be around the corner just yet, or it may not even be a complete reality. However, it’s not hard to imagine that this could eventually be the future of this industry.