American fast-food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has unveiled its first elevated drive-through restaurant, a new concept designed to enhance service efficiency.
Located south of metro Atlanta, the facility features a food delivery system with four drive-through lanes and a conveyor belt that transports meals directly from the kitchen to the customer.
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The new restaurant follows the recent opening of a mobile pickup location in New York City and is the second Chick-fil-A test concept launched in 2024.
Both initiatives cater to the needs of the on-the-go guest.
The elevated kitchen, twice the size of a standard Chick-fil-A kitchen, enables a meal to be delivered every six seconds.
Unlike traditional Chick-fil-A outlets, this drive-through-only location does not offer a dining room or dine-in services.
The four-lane layout can accommodate two to three times more vehicles than a typical drive-through.
Chick-fil-A executive director of design Jonathan Reed said: “Our guests lead busy lives, and we’re focused on designing our restaurants to best serve their needs.
“With the new elevated four-lane drive-through design […] 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.”
Guests at the restaurant have two options for meal collection. They can either pre-order through the Chick-fil-A app and use the dedicated mobile through-lanes, or order directly from a team member in the traditional lanes.
The company has appointed Brett Lewis as the owner-operator of the Chick-fil-A drive-through. Lewis has been with Chick-fil-A since 2019.
He will oversee all business operations, including managing 150 full and part-time team members, guest service and community engagement.
Lewis said: “I’ve been fortunate to work with Chick-fil-A for a long time. I am excited to move back […]and honoured to open this new concept, which happens to be four miles away from my childhood home.
“As a local business owner, I look forward to learning how to best serve the community I grew up in and working alongside my team members as we create a one-of-a-kind drive-through experience for our guests.”
In August 2024, Chick-fil-A announced that it would re-launch its Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich in the US, along with a new spicy variant, on 26 August 2024.
