Since the pandemic has cut down on face-to-face interaction, increased reliance on restaurant drive-thrus has put a strain on Chick-fil-A. CEO Dan Cathy reports that as of 2022, the restaurant loses an estimated 30% of its drive-thru customers because they see the ever-present, incredibly long lines and choose to skip them.
Luckily, the popular chicken joint has a few ideas about how to address the issue and speed up operations in the drive-thru lane. Some locations have installed double drive-thru lanes and implemented a new system in which staff stand outdoors and take orders from cars as they drive up, rather than only using speakers.
Chick-fil-A also states on its website that the company has begun experimenting with Drive-Thru Express lanes, which are for customers who need to retrieve an order placed online or through the restaurant's app. Initial results suggest that these lanes will allow traffic in the other lanes to flow more easily without getting bogged-down.