- I visited Sonic and McDonald's to compare the two chains drive-thru experiences.
- McDonald's embodies the classic drive-thru style, while Sonic operates a drive-in.
- McDonald's model is more versatile, but I think Sonic's innovations will help it stay successful.
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I compared McDonald's drive-thru and Sonic's drive-in, and saw how both approaches contributed to sales growth during the pandemic
Jul 11, 2021, 8:08 AM ET
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Drive-thrus are key for McDonalds. About 95% of the chain's nearly 14,000 US locations have drive-thrus, with 25,000 worldwide.
Source: Restaurant Dive
"Drive-thru made McDonald's what it is today," McDonald's CEO and president Chris Kempczinski said in an earnings call in April.
During the pandemic, drive-thrus became more important than ever, making up 90% of orders.
I gave the classic drive-thru experience a try to see how one of the biggest chains in the world stands up to other formats.
Source: Insider
I used the McDonald's app to order a quarter pounder and Big Mac, and of course fries.
The app is pretty standard compared to other fast food mobile ordering. I selected my order and location and then went to pick it up through the drive-thru.
The app gave me a short code to give the worker at the speaker, which I think made things move slightly faster than trying to repeat my name a few times.
My McDonald's location has double drive-thru lanes, a relatively recent innovation that was added to reduce wait times and bottlenecks.
McDonald's corporate has been pushing franchisees to upgrade drive-thrus since 2019 after years of increasingly long wait times.
Source: Insider
McDonald's average drive-thru wait times got slower every year for six years through 2019, leading to an all-time high of 273 seconds.
Source: QSR
Along with double lanes, consolidating menus by removing options like grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, and all-day breakfast cut wait times.
Source: Insider
I had a fairly simple order, but I didn't wait more than five minutes to receive my food.
McDonald's has also been investing in a curbside pickup program, with designated numbered parking spots where employees can bring out food to waiting customers.
Next up, I went to Sonic, which has a drive-thru along with a drive-in.
Source: Insider
Sonic's drive-in model thrived during the pandemic as competitors closed dining rooms.
Sonic operates a drive-thru, dining room, and drive-in. The drive-in has 15 to 20 parking spots with their own speakers to order food, which is brought outside by the car hop.
The drive-in area is under a covering that keeps it comfortable in hot temperatures or rainy weather.
The drive-in section is just across the parking lot from the entrance.
There's also a small outdoor seating area.
Normally customers would also have the option of ordering and eating inside, but the dining room was still closed.
Each drive-in spot is essentially a drive-thru in miniature, with a sign displaying Sonic's massive menu. Customers press the red button to signal that they are ready to order, and a worker will take their order through the speaker.
Most of the sign is a static display, but there is also a digital screen that shares information. In this case, it said that some ingredients were not available because of supply issues across the entire industry.
I ordered through Sonic's app before I arrived, which gave me time to look through the extensive menu that experts say is key to the chain's success.
Source: Insider
The menu has typical fast food fare comparable to McDonald's — burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries.
Unlike many competitors, it also has a wide selection of snacks including different types of tater tots, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and soft pretzels. Analysts said that the comfort food not tied to a specific meal time may have also contributed to Sonic's success.
Sonic's drinks are a major part of its appeal to customers. Sonic's president told Insider that 25% of all orders are drink-only, and there are 1.3 million possible drink combinations on the menu.
Source: Insider