BusinessCompany News

Actions

Chick-fil-A opens 'first of its kind' 4-lane drive-thru restaurant

The new location can process a meal every six seconds.
New Chick-fil-A opens in the Atlanta area.
Posted

Chick-fil-A has opened a "first of its kind" location with four drive-thru lanes and an elevated kitchen with a "unique meal transport system."

The location in Atlanta opened on Thursday, and the restaurant chain says the new concept was "strategically designed to increase speed-of-service and simplify the drive-thru experience for guests."

Unlike traditional drive-thrus where customers pull up to a window attached to the kitchen, the kitchen is above drivers at this restaurant. Chick-fil-A says that meals are moved down a sophisticated conveyor belt system that "streamlines food delivery by quickly moving the meal from the elevated kitchen above to a Team Member on the ground below."

RELATED STORY | Burger King trolls Wendy's for implementing dynamic pricing

The restaurant chain says the kitchen is twice the size of its normal locations and the system can handle the delivery of one meal every six seconds. Chick-fil-A added that the new location has the capacity to handle two to three times more traffic than a traditional location.

“Our Guests lead busy lives, and we’re focused on designing our restaurants to best serve their needs,” said Jonathan Reed, executive director of design for Chick-fil-A, Inc. “With the new Elevated Drive-Thru design, featuring our first four-lane drive-thru, we're aiming to deliver quality food and genuine hospitality in a way that’s uniquely Chick-fil-A, and gives our Guests time back in their day.”

Chick-fil-A has not said whether it plans to expand the concept to other locations.

In last year's Drive-Thru Report by QSR Magazine, Chick-fil-A was said to have the longest wait times of major chains, but the report noted that lines were much longer at Chick-fil-A than typical fast food restaurants, so that the restaurants had short wait times per car.

RELATED STORY | Even with drop in sales, McDonald's maintains spot as top US fast food chain