How Have Drive-Thru and QSR Technologies Evolved during COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every corner of the foodservice industry, and this was especially true for drive-thru and QSR operations that had yet to digitize their drive-thru operations.

With in-person dining off-limits for the better part of a year in many parts of the world, brands quickly shifted to prioritizing their drive-thrus. This spurred acceleration of digitization and adoption of innovative solutions that can bring new speed and accuracy to drive-thru service.

To explore in greater depth how the pandemic accelerated the digitization of operations in QSR brands, particularly in Europe, and saw many brands take their first steps on this journey, Beyond Technology host Hilary Kennedy chatted with Acrelec’s Peter McManus, VP, Global Account Management.

McManus, who has managed many a large account for Acrelec and saw the shift from a focus on in-person dining to drive-thru service happen in real time during the pandemic, was uniquely suited to offer his front-line insights.

“Certainly, there has been a range of reactions [to the pandemic],” McManus said. “One of the things that we’re certainly seeing is new thinking around new store designs. … Many [QSR] operators have reimagined what their stores should look like.”

That means catering to online and mobile ordering, special lanes to fulfill those orders, a new focus on drive-thru success, and more.

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