Drive-through etiquette

Drive- throughs have been in operation since 1947, and people haven’t stopped using them ever since. In fact, during the pandemic, the drivethrough helped many restaurants here in Northwest Arkansas thrive during a challenging time in the industry.

Restaurants that were able to stay afloat due to drive-throughs and other takeaway options can thank Red’s Giant Hamburg in Missouri for the success of their drivethrough operations. Red’s is generally considered to be the first true drivethrough, according to Money magazine. In 1948, a year after Red’s opened its drive-through, In-N Out Burger opened a drive-through and put to use a state-ofthe-art two-way speaker box.

Since the early days of drive-throughs, many different businesses have utilized drive-through windows. Banking has been streamlined thanks to drive-up ATM machines and drive-through teller windows. People can pick up vital prescription medications from drive-throughs at their local pharmacies. Drive-throughs at coffee shops keep busy commuters moving and caffeinated. They are a boon to busy parents with kids in the car, or even furry friends.

Visiting drive-through windows has become second nature, and most of us can barely remember a time before drive-throughs were part of our everyday life. And as with other things in life, civility and common sense go a long way when taking advantage of this modern convenience.

· Cease your mobile phone conversation. As you pull up to the drivethrough speaker while on the phone, end the call or ask the other person to wait a moment. Give your full attention to the person taking your order. An informal poll of drive-through order takers found this was one of the biggest frustrations about drive-through customers.

· Know your order. Be sure to ask everyone in the car what they want before getting in line. According to a QSR Magazine study in 2018, the average serving time for the top 10 fast food chains was 234.08 seconds, or roughly 4 minutes. Transactions are sped up by customers being ready to order when asked and having their means of payment available when the drive to the payment window.

· Visit drive-throughs in the morning or afternoon. The wait for drive-throughs for breakfast and lunch are less lengthy than they are at dinnertime. However, the optimal time of day to go through a drivethrough is mid-afternoon, when average wait times are 173 seconds and service tends to be friendlier.

· Speak loudly and slowly. Drivethrough customers should realize that it can be challenging to hear orders over traffic and the rush going on inside the restaurant. Speak clearly, loudly and slowly when engaging with a drivethrough attendant.

· Don’t add items at the window. Adding items at the payment window after an order has been placed can disrupt the flow of things in the restaurant.

· Sort items outside of the drivethrough lane. Do not pass around purchases while in the drive-through lane or look through the bag (maybe to snag a French fry?) and hold up the line. Pull over into a parking lot space and take care of business there.

· Navigating the double drive-through. Increasingly, fast food restaurants are employing the double drive-through, in which two lanes for ordering merge into one before the pick up window. This new challenge to drive-through etiquette has proven confounding to many customers. Who was here first? Do we just alternate cars? How will they know which is my order? Some—for whom common courtesy may be lacking—will try to inch ahead, ignoring the accepted “zipper” merging method. You can loosen your grip on the steering wheel, knowing that double drive-through technology includes cameras that snap a picture of your car when you order, so that the drive-through worker know who gets what order, no matter who pulls up first. Employees also usually repeat your order at the pay/pick-up window to avoid mix-ups. As far as the “correct” merge option, let civility be your guide.

· Spread the drive-through love. “Paying it forward” has become a popular trend at drive-through restaurants. When you pay for your food or beverage order at the window, you can tell the cashier that you’d like to pay for the order behind you as well. You just might make someone’s day, and they might be inclined to do a good deed for someone else. Plus, you might feel a little better about yourself at the same time.

The drive-through is a fundamental part of life as we know it. Make the experience better for everyone by being courteous, using common sense and showing consideration for workers and fellow patrons.

Questions about this or other dining features? Contact Karen Rice at 479-571-6474 or krice@NWADG.com