Bluedot found that the average speed of drive-thru service has been four minutes, 15 seconds during the pandemic. That equates to only two cars completing the drive thru before it becomes frustrating for consumers.

The latter stems from another data point: 81 percent of respondents said anything more than 10 minutes was too long for a drive-thru experience.

One of the reasons Chick-fil-A has been so successful with drive thru speaks to the above dynamic. Drive thru isn’t all about speed. Across the 10 brands studied in QSR’s Drive-Thru Performance Study (conducted before COVID-19), the average speed of service slowed by about 21 seconds, from 234.08 seconds in 2018 to 255.34 in 2019.

And Chick-fil-A was No. 10, at 322.98 seconds. Yet still, the 2,500-unit brand ranked best in both order accuracy (at 94 percent, 4 percentage points higher than No. 2 Burger King) and customer service (scoring top marks in eye contact, pleasant demeanor, smiling, saying “please,” and being “very friendly”).

The why behind this could serve as a valuable lesson going forward into a drive-thru-dominated era. Firstly, Chick-fil-A’s service time was slowest simply because it was the busiest by a good distance. A full 77 percent of its drive-thru experiences had three or more cars in line, while 35.5 percent had six or more cars in line. To put that in perspective, McDonald’s was the second-busiest drive thru, and only 41.8 percent of its drive thrus had three or more cars and 9.1 percent had six or more.

Yet here’s the kicker: Slowest or not, 56 percent of “mystery shoppers” rated their experiences in the Chick-fil-A drive thru as “fast,” two percentage points above the industry average. And the auditors reported they were “satisfied” or “highly satisfied” by nearly 95 percent of Chick-fil-A’s drive thru experiences versus 79 percent sector wide.

It suggests delivering drive-thru experience remains a circular opportunity. There’s as much of a customer experience hook as greeting dine-in guests. And this is going to be doubly the case in a post-coronavirus world where more and more customers are pulling up.

Chick-fil-A famously meets diners with “face-to-face” ordering in the drive-thru line, which has changed a bit in recent times. Now, customers put their credit card in a portable device without touching anything. Chick-fil-A also built handwashing stations.

But the overall aim hasn’t changed. Chick-fil-A can greet guests sooner, basically upon arrival, and then boost throughput by giving staff more time to prepare each order.

On a less concrete note, though, guests perceive the experience more favorably than if they waited behind a long line of cars, without talking to anybody for minutes on end.

During COVID-19, as dining-room staffing needs naturally lowered, some Chick-fil-As expanded to two or three drive-thru lanes, using cones, canopies, and other pop-up decor. Operators extended WiFi capabilities.

The chain devised a check-point system of sorts to keep the consumer journey flowing, from getting your order taken at the front to paying at step two, to pickup at the end. And so forth.

Again, it’s not all that different from how the dining room used to work.

In-N-Out is a category leader in this practice, too. Recognizing the drive-thru line as a common bottleneck, the burger chain has long sent order takers down the queue with hand-held devices.

In July, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said the feature was coming to its footprint. Drive thru, combined with mobile order-and-pay, accounted for nearly 90 percent of the company’s Q3 sales volume—a full 30 percent higher than normal.

COO Roz Brewer said adding handheld point-of-sale devices would “bust the line,” a retail term that refers to employees working up the line to take orders on mobile tablets faster than counter staff can operate a stationary terminal.

A simple goal: Better throughput as Starbucks puts orders in a queue faster, gets out-the-window times down, and delivers food to consumers quickly. And, like the Chick-fil-A effect, a more satisfied customer that isn’t entirely reliant on speed of service.

Bluedot asked consumers about the safety element of drive thrus. Having order takers walk the line does bring up the question of whether or not it will be more unsettling for guests. This is why Chick-fil-A features contactless payment and makes sure employees clearly wear masks (cow themed in places). Guests can also order via the app or online, which is the focus of the Chipotle model.

Bluedot said 29 percent of respondents said they feel safer when sanitation and safety information is posted at the drive-thru window, followed closely by less contact or zero contact with staff (25 percent).

In April, the figures were 38 percent for contactless and 23 percent for posting information.

So what you’re seeing is a more comfortable consumer mostly OK with limited human contact. You just have to invest in visual cues.

The change in behavior stems from guests practicing their own safety precautions (easy access to masks, experiences going out), lockdown fatigue, and restaurants getting better at sharing and promoting new safety features.

The winning formula appears to be a combination of contactless options alongside signage and employee practices that get the message across. Some guests are going to be more guarded than others. But everyone can agree multiple points of purchase are better than fewer ones. And the less mystery when it comes to what’s happening, the better. This can be as true in the drive thru as it is walking in the lobby.

Brizo FoodMetrics’ data shows 310,790 “independent” U.S. restaurants with takeout or drive-thru capabilities operating today. The company defines the pool as concepts with four or fewer units that have received customer reviews within the last six months.

The rise of curbside

As expected, curbside pickup continues to experience higher usage today compared to early COVID-19. Restaurants are adopting the practice in greater numbers.

Sixty-two percent of Bluedot’s respondents said they have used curbside pickup at a restaurant the same amount as before or more often than before in the last month.

Forty percent said they’ve used curbside pickup at a restaurant more than usual. In April, the figure was just 27 percent.

Akin to drive thru, as more operators onboard the option, consumer expectations will climb. In this case, there’s been an increase in importance when it comes to staff wearing a mask and gloves at curbside, Bluedot said.

Me not needing to leave my car

• First study: 31 percent
• Current: 27 percent

 

You can see here, once more, how consumers are loosening up their lockdown behaviors a bit.

Staff meeting me at curbside with mask and gloves

• First study: 18 percent
• Current: 26 percent

 

It seems the honeymoon period is over. Now that curbside is a relatively common channel, guests aren’t accepting the novelty of it. They’re judging one experience versus another. That’s true from a competitive angle as well as a repeat visit one.

Minimal or zero contact and interaction with staff

• First study: 30 percent
• Current: 22 percent

 

The same thread as before: The more time passes, the more guests trust restaurant workers. There’s no question some users will have the reverse experience. But if a brand delivers, and the guest is no worse because of it, fears will ease on some level. And then it comes down to the experience and meeting needs beyond just safety measures.

Carryout choices

There is even less patience for carryout and in-store pickup than drive thru. Customers don’t want to wait in line with other customers. As much trust is being credited to employees of restaurants, the same isn’t true of other patrons. A vast majority of people list other guests as their No. 1 concern with dining out in a COVID world, not the restaurant itself.

Bluedot reported that 67 percent of guests view waiting six minutes or more as too long and frustrating for in-store pickup.

Sixty-five percent of people have picked up in-store at a restaurant the same number or more often than before in the last month, the company added. That’s a 10 percent increase from the start of April.

Three out of four respondents, or 72 percent, said they experience fear and/or anxiety over walking into a store/restaurant. That’s down from 80 percent in April.

Clearly, guests are increasingly willing to walk in and grab their food. Yet a restaurant might lose that same customer if they enter a crowded lobby and find it difficult to maintain their distance. You could say it defeats the contactless purpose. Consumers didn’t really like waiting for pickup before. Now, doing so taps into a host of other issues, from personal safety to guilt over leaving the house and making a seemingly bold choice. “I had to wait in line with 20 other people,” is a much different story to relay than, “I walked in, grabbed the food, spoke to nobody, touched nothing, and left.”

Chipotle, Cava, and hordes of other chains have rolled pickup shelves to units to streamline the process.

Apps on the rise

Bluedot discovered a significant increase in mobile app usage to purchase food and essentials. The company said 64 percent of respondents have downloaded at least one or more new apps to buy food from restaurants, grocers, and other essential stories. It’s up close to 15 percent from April.

All of this is connected. Apps to order food for contactless carryout. Apps to get drive-thru orders up and paid before you head over. It’s customer service, served digitally.

App usage

Same amount or more often than before

• First study: 85 percent
• Current: 88 percent

 

More often or much more often than before

• First study: 42 percent
• Current: 50 percent

 

Same amount as before

• First study: 39 percent
• Current: 39 percent

 

The gains, Bluedot said, are coming from those who previously used apps less often and are now using them much more often—an unlock to get food the way people want today.

Sixty-four percent of people said they prefer notifying restaurants of arrival via the app or texting. Of which it’s an even split between automated check-ins via the app or texting the restaurant directly.

Forty-nine percent said they’ve downloaded two or more apps—up just slightly from 45 percent in the last study.

The safety question

In Bluedot’s study, employees not wearing masks was, by far, the No. 1 reason respondents said they would not return to a restaurant. Sixty-two percent ranked wearing masks as the most important safety measure (there were 28 to choose from). Nearly 40 percent of people also said they feel more safe in the drive thru compared to delivery, third-party delivery, and carryout. Curbside pickup was second.

What’s safest?

Drive thru

• Overall: 38 percent
• Women: 39 percent
• Men: 37 percent

 

Curbside

• Overall: 21 percent
• Women: 23 percent
• Men: 19 percent

 

In-store pickup

• Overall: 9 percent
• Women: 9 percent
• Menu: 9 percent

 

One thing to note, women perceive drive thru as three-and-half times safer than in-store pickup.

This spreads across regions, too (safety ranking):

Drive thru

• Midwest: 43 percent
• West: 41 percent
• South: 38 percent
• Northeast: 29 percent

 

Curbside

• Midwest: 24 percent
• West: 20 percent
• South: 21 percent
• Northeast: 20 percent

 

In-store pickup

• Midwest: 11 percent
• West: 7 percent
• South: 11 percent
• Northeast: 10 percent

 

When it comes to waiting, Bluedot summarized that the closer guests get to stepping into a physical store, the less waiting is expected and tolerated.

Percentage of consumers who feel frustrated waiting 10 minutes or more:

• Drive thru: 81 percent
• Curbside: 83 percent
• In-store: 86 percent

 

Gender differences

Willing to wait more than 10 minutes at a drive thru

• Women: 20 percent
• Men: 16 percent

 

Rank minimal wait times as one of the largest safety factors

• Women: 30 percent
• Menu: 39 percent