Chick-fil-A opens its first drive-thru restaurant with elevated kitchen
Chick-fil-A is testing an elevated drive-thru restaurant concept with a unique food conveyor system.
Located south of metro Atlanta, in McDonough (City of Stockbridge), the new restaurant is designed to increase speed-of-service and simplify the drive-thru experience for customers. It features four drive-thru lanes and an elevated kitchen with a sophisticated meal transport system.
The conveyer belt system streamlines food delivery by quickly moving the meal from the elevated kitchen above to an employee on the ground below. The kitchen is two times larger than a typical Chick-fil-A restaurant kitchen and the conveyor system allows for a meal to be delivered to an employee every six seconds.
The restaurant offers two options for customers to get their meal. They can order ahead through the Chick-fil-A App and pick up using the dedicated mobile-thru lanes or they can place their order with an employee in the traditional drive-thru lanes. Dedicated pull-aside lanes and "team member touch points" ensure guests continue to receive Chick-fil-A’s signature hospitality, the company said.
"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. “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.”
The new restaurant is the second of two innovative test concepts opened by Chick-fil-A this year, with both focused on serving the "on-the-go" customer. In March, the company opened a mobile pickup-only format in New York City. The concept is focused on the company’s mobile pickup and delivery channels. Customers order ahead for delivery or carryout via the Chick-fil-A app or online.
[READ MORE: Chick-fil-A opens its first-ever mobile pickup-only restaurant]
Chick-fil-A is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, with more than 200,000 employees employed by independent owner-operators in more than 3,000 restaurants across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. The company plans to expand by 2030 into Europe and Asia.
