- Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru queues are longer than ever during the pandemic, creating problems.
- The chain has employees taking orders via iPad and has introduced covers and jackets for employees who work outdoors.
- Chick-fil-A is taking the pressure off the drive-thrus with deliveries, new locations and ghost kitchens.
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Chick-fil-A is an undisputed expert in drive-thru.
The feats of the chicken chain are so well known that when a city in South Carolina was facing a disaster at the COVID-19 vaccination site, authorities called the manager of the local Chick-fil-A.
However, Chick-fil-A is dealing with increasing pressure to keep crowds moving. The network faced four lawsuits in 2020 because of its huge drive-thru lines, Insider found. The average waiting time reached eight minutes and eight seconds, minutes longer than competitors like McDonald’s and KFC.
Still, Chick-fil-A is working hard to address new challenges with innovation. The company said in a statement to Insider that it has “teams dedicated to constantly innovating and testing new ways to elevate the guest and team member’s experience and improve drive-thru efficiency.”
“As we are always investing in this work, our local franchise operators were able to act quickly in the beginning of the pandemic to adapt to the pressures caused by the closure of our restaurants,” the statement continues.
Here are six techniques that the chicken chain is using to stay on top of the drive-thru game.