Chick-fil-A Experiments with Drive-Thru Concept Using Order Arrival Chutes

Chick-Fil-A is set to test two innovative restaurant concepts that prioritize digital-focused, to-go orders in order to enhance the speed and efficiency of the ordering process for customers.

The fast-food chain will be introducing a walk-up restaurant in New York City and a drive-thru restaurant in the Atlanta metropolitan area. These restaurants will offer features specifically designed to reduce wait times, as stated by Chick-fil-A Executive Director Khalilah Cooper in a recent statement. Digital orders have become increasingly popular, surpassing traditional in-store orders in some of the company’s markets, where they now account for more than half of all orders. Both of these new restaurant concepts are scheduled to open in 2024.

The Atlanta store will boast four drive-thru lanes, with two dedicated exclusively to mobile order pick-ups. These lanes will be positioned underneath the second story of the restaurant. However, it’s not just the drive-thru that will be larger in scale. The kitchen will also be twice the size of a typical Chick-fil-A location, located above the drive-thru. Orders will be transported via an overhead conveyor belt connected to chutes on the sides, according to the company.

Chick-fil-A’s emphasis on improving the ordering experience is driven by the company’s commitment to meeting the high demand for its popular sandwiches, nuggets, and other products. According to a report from customer experience solution firm Intouch Insights, in 2022, Chick-fil-A customers spent an average of nearly eight and a half minutes waiting in the drive-thru lane, more than customers at any other major fast-food chain.

Since before the pandemic, drive-thru wait times have increased. The average wait time in drive-thrus in 2022 was 45 seconds longer compared to 2019, according to QSR and Intouch Insight’s annual Drive-Thru Report.