Chick-fil-A is getting ready to kick things up a notch.
Pretty soon, the days of waiting in super long drive-thru lines for some tasty Chick-fil-A chicken will be over—at least at select restaurant locations, anyway.
The popular chicken brand just revealed its plans to test out two new restaurant design concepts in the hopes of giving customers a more convenient way of getting their hands on those tasty Chick-fil-A meals.
As announced on Thursday, July 27, the brand plans to test a new elevated drive-thru and walk-up design, which “combine[s] digital ordering with Chick-fil-A’s signature hospitality to make getting their Chick-fil-A favorites more convenient than ever before.”
Both the new designs are slated to open sometime in 2024, with the drive-thru concept located in the Atlanta metro area and the walk-up concept opening in New York City.
These two new additions to Chick-fil-A’s growing suite of specialized restaurant concepts were created to meet the “evolving needs of our customers who desire speed and convenience, while infusing every touchpoint with reasons for our guests to smile,” according to the brand.
The restaurant chain has already introduced some innovative features over the years to make their locations run as smoothly as possible, including mobile ordering in the Chick-fil-A App and dedicated Mobile Thru lanes.
“Digital orders make up more than half of total sales in some markets—and growing—so we know our customers have an appetite for convenience,” said Khalilah Cooper, Executive Director, Restaurant Design. “Understanding this desire for convenience, the locations for these tests were intentionally selected with the customers in mind, giving them more control over their desired experience and cutting down wait-time, while continuing to provide genuine hospitality and care to every guest.”
As far as the new technology goes, the reimagined new drive-thru concept promises to deliver greater ease and efficient service to customers, while still providing the hospitality that Chick-fil-A fans are used to. Guests will be able to place their order with a Team Member or use the Mobile Drive Thru lanes for orders placed ahead in the Chick-fil-A App.
The kitchen will even be built right above the drive-thru lanes, so orders can be easily expedited for the team members to deliver directly to the customer.
The walk-up concept is specifically designed for urban areas with heavy foot traffic, making NYC the perfect place to start. The new design will allow guests to conveniently order their favorite items ahead of time in the Chick-fil-A app so that when they arrive, their prepared food order is handed to them with a smile, and they can quickly be on their way without getting their busy schedules interrupted.
“We want to leverage technology to elevate the human touchpoints in our restaurants,” said Cooper. “These new digital formats make the customer and Team Member experience more seamless, and therefore more memorable, and give back precious time to connect with each other.”
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