The 'Order Ahead Lane' Promises a McDonald's Drive-Thru Built For the Gig Economy Era The fast-food chain is testing a new type of drive-thru in a restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas. The good news: less sitting in your car.
By Gabrielle Bienasz •
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Sitting in your car waiting to pull up and get your food or drinks is starting to feel retro. (And delivery drivers could certainly use a break from elbowing people out of the way to pick up orders)
That's why McDonald's is testing a new drive-thru and building setup, constructed for the gig and pickup economy.
The fast food chain publicly announced the new test restaurant and attendant food pickup systems in Fort Worth, Texas via press release on Thursday.
"As our customers' needs continue to change, we are committed to finding new ways to serve them faster and easier than ever before," Max Carmona, senior director of global design and restaurant development, said in the release.
The popularity of delivery doesn't seem to be waning, even as pandemic rules subside, but it adds an extra layer of complexity for employees giving orders to drivers while managing in-store customers, CNN noted. Brands from Chipotle to Taco Bell to beef up or plan to boost drive-through lanes, the outlet added.
From a global perspective, the market for delivery of food tripled from 2017 to 2021, according to McKinsey.
As such, it makes sense legacy brands are rethinking their spaces. This test restaurant comes from an effort that Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald's, discussed in a call with investors in 2020, that was called, "Accelerating the Arches."
Particularly, he discussed how the company planned to adapt to a world "with less dine-in and more takeout," by focusing on "digital, delivery, and drive-thru."
The restaurant in Fort Worth is equipped with features like a delivery pick-up room, kiosks for ordering to-go, and a pick-up shelf for orders.
It further features special parking spaces for delivery drivers and curbside pickup.
It's also smaller. "When you step inside the test restaurant concept, you'll notice it's considerably smaller than a traditional McDonald's restaurant in the U.S. Why? The features – inside and outside – are geared toward customers who are planning to dine at home or on the go," the release said.
There is also an "Order Ahead Lane," where you can pick up your mobile order delivered to you via a conveyor belt -- as a separate drive-thru.
Courtesy company.
All the concepts are currently in test mode. "We're always innovating to improve our customer experience, no matter how they want to order or receive their food," the company added.
