Remember when the authorities closed many restaurant dining rooms and customers’ only options were basically drive-thru and delivery? The prevailing wisdom was that as soon as the authorities ended COVID restrictions the dining rooms would be full again. The bad news is that dining room traffic is not what it once was for many. The good news is that many customers became fans of the convenience of the drive-thru.
Drive-thru expansion and innovation is booming. High drive-thru traffic is pushing restaurateurs to surpass customer expectations before the drive-thru loses its association with convenience. Expansion is happening everywhere. McDonald’s is growing for the first time since 2014, Salad and Go continues to expand, and Smoothie King is adding several locations. And that’s just some of this week’s highlights. Fun (and busy) times!!
And now the news…