DRIVE-THRU TECHNOLOGY


UPGRADING IN-CAR DINING: WHAT IS IN STORE?


Drive-thru dining options ramped up during the Covid pandemic, as operators explored every avenue to keep their businesses running. Now the goal is to improve efficiency, accelerate order times, and increase customer satisfaction. Jim Banks explores how innovative technologies will help.


O


nce just an add-on to existing kitchen operations, the drive-thru


set-up took center stage when the pandemic hit in 2020. Five years later, it is a hotbed of innovation, where cutting-edge technologies are being deployed to squeeze out every ounce of efficiency. Done badly, drive-thru


ordering can be a nightmare, but when it is done well it can


drive customer loyalty and boost revenues. Generally, catering for drive-thru orders does not require a separate cook line, so there is no need to invest in new ovens or fryers. Either a server takes the bag to the window instead of the front counter, or a simple conveyor does the job. Tere might be a separate


beverage dispenser, and if management really cares about the comfort of their workers,


perhaps extra ventilation could be installed, or even an air curtain to help keep the temperature down. So, why is there a growing focus on technological solutions to improve the drive-thru experience? Te answer is simple – the ordering process often leaves a lot to be desired. “Most QSR outlets in


this region have a drive- thru,” says George Haddad FCSI, managing director of Luminescenza, based in Lebanon and UAE. “Tey are very common in Beirut, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. And not much is changing here – ordering is still a nightmare, and people have to wait in line for a long time. Often the server cannot hear you.” “Ordering through a speaker


on the street is difficult and you have to wait, so people might order via phone or an app for takeaway and collect by the drive-thru,” he adds. “It could be much better if you removed the


operator and had a self-service screen, or if you had more than one window for pick up.” What is true in the Middle East is also true across Europe, the US, and the rest of the world, and more operators are starting to explore the most advanced technologies to streamline ordering processes, as well as manage workflows more efficiently, even when there are fewer people working in the kitchen. Shortage of labor, and its high cost, mean operators want to do more – and do it better – with a reduced workforce.


A NEW KIND OF INTELLIGENCE


While QSR kitchens have many options available for automation – from robots that flip burgers to fryers that can automatically lift a product out of cooking oil using preset timings – innovation specifically for the drive-thru element is focused quite specifically on improving >


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