Chipotle Mexican Grill Incorporated has announced plans to build some 200 new locations before the end of this year. But in a twist, the company, which has for years relied primarily upon walk-in traffic, says that a large segment of those new stores will feature drive-throughs. The Chipotle announcement comes as an increasingly larger number of national fast food brands are building and incorporating drive-through offerings as part of their footprint. Industry sources say the demand for drive-throughs is a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, keeping interactions between customers and restaurant employees to a minimum. The demand for drive-throughs has become pronounced enough, says the Wall Street Journal, to command a 10% to 20% higher rent for buildings that already have them. “Drive-through sites are in demand partly because of their scarcity value,” notes the newspaper, adding that in recent years the construction of such restaurant features has been curtailed by local zoning restrictions. Last fall Burger King unveiled a new design feature for restaurants it plans to build in 2021 which include triple drive-throughs, with one lane dedicated for delivery drivers. The company noted that, because of Covid-19, drive-through sales in 2020 had increased to 85% of total sales, up from 67% in 2019. The drive-through trend is also intersecting with modern technology, notes the New York Times. “More restaurants are trying to encourage customers to use ordering apps, which improve the accuracy of orders,” says the publication. “They are also trying to figure out how to best speed customers through the drive-through or pickup process.” McDonald’s Corporation and Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants Incorporated are both reporting increased drive-through sales, with plans to build more stores with drive-in features. Even the Starbucks Corporation has announced a new commitment to locations with drive-throughs. Late last year the company said it was planning to open about 800 new stores nationally, a large segment of which will offer drive-throughs. Roz Brewer, outgoing chief operations officer at Starbucks, said in a conference call with investors that some of the new stores will differ from the chain’s traditional in-house offerings because they will offer no indoor seating whatsoever, but will have instead “side-by-side drive-through lanes.” By Garry Boulard
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