Chick-fil-A Takes Drive-Thru to New Heights
Chick-fil-A is reaching for the sky with its latest innovation - an elevated drive-thru restaurant that opened in August in McDonough, Georgia. This new prototype, visible from blocks away, aims to revolutionize the fast-food experience by combining speed, efficiency, and the brand's signature hospitality.
The restaurant's standout feature is its raised kitchen, which sits atop four drive-thru lanes and is double the size of a typical Chick-fil-A. It’s connected to the lanes below by a conveyor belt system that can zip out meals every six seconds per lane – potentially about 2,400 meals served per hour.
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"We believe it can do 2.5-to-3x the volume of a normal Chick-fil-A. That's the expectation," said Jonathan Reed, executive director of design at Chick-fil-A.
This project comes as Chick-fil-A wants to stay king of the drive-thru hill. The chain is known for one of the fastest service times in the industry, despite often having long lines of cars. About 60% of their orders come through the drive-thru, so this new design could boost the company's already impressive average unit volumes, which hit $9.3 million last year.
While the focus is on tech and speed, Chick-fil-A insists it won't compromise on hospitality. Unlike some automated drive-thrus, employees will still take orders and hand food to customers directly.
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The new location, operated by franchise owner Brett Lewis, will employ around 150 workers - notably more than the 80-120 typically found at a standard Chick-fil-A.
This elevated concept, if successful, might be the future of fast food and Chick-fil-A probably just set a new standard for quick-service restaurants.