Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesFood & Beverage

The Main Course: How A New Drive-Thru Experience Keeps Coffee Customer-Centric

A reimagined drive-thru model prioritizes personal connection and service quality over pure transaction speed

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Food & Beverage teams put it to work with Customer Stories & Case Studies.

By Barbara Castiglia · Clutch CoffeeDrive-thruDrive-thru ExperienceThe Main Course
Share

Key takeaways

01

A reimagined drive-thru model prioritizes personal connection and service quality over pure transaction speed

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Food & Beverage?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Food & Beverage coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Request an invite

In an age where convenience is king, the drive-thru model has become an integral part of the food and beverage industry. With the rise of on-the-go lifestyles and the need for quick service, drive-thrus have evolved from mere transactional points to hubs of customer interaction. Recent data suggests that over 60% to 70% of all fast-food sales in the U.S. are made at drive-thrus, emphasizing their significance in today’s market. But how can businesses ensure that the drive-thru experience remains personal and customer-centric, rather than just another transaction?

On this episode of The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia delves into the world of drive-thru coffee with Darren Spicer, Co-Founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee Bar. Together, they discuss the nuances of creating a unique drive-thru experience that prioritizes customer connection. Topics covered in this episode include…

– The journey of Clutch Coffee from its West Coast origins to its rapid expansion in the Carolinas.

– The evolution of the drive-thru model and the importance of face-to-face interactions.

– The role of technology in enhancing the drive-thru experience while maintaining a personal touch.

Darren Spicer, a West Coast native with a deep-rooted passion for coffee, began his journey in the industry back in 2004. Over the years, he transitioned from part-time jobs in coffee shops to roles in sports marketing and medical device sales. However, his love for coffee and building relationships pulled him back, leading to the inception of Clutch Coffee Bar. With a customer-centric focus and a unique concept, Darren aims to redefine the drive-thru experience for coffee lovers.

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Food & Beverage starts with a company putting its plant managers, quality leads, and R&D teams on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Processors and grocery buyers vet suppliers hard, and your operations people are the ones who can satisfy them.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

BC
Barbara CastigliaExecutive Editor

Barbara Castiglia is a leading authority on restaurant and QSR news, restaurant management, and the intricacies of the food & beverage market. As the Executive Editor of Modern Restaurant Management, she possesses a multifaceted skill set as a Writer/Editor and Content Creator. With a rich background spanning newspaper, magazine, television, and online platforms, Castiglia has showcased her expertise in writing, editing, and design. She is renowned for her creativity, consistently transforming concepts into print, steering content direction, tailoring copy for specific audiences, and crafting and formatting layouts. Beyond her technical skills, Castiglia is an exceptional communicator with a strong grasp of business insights. She is a composed professional known for her effective multitasking abilities. In high-pressure, deadline-driven settings, she not only emphasizes product quality but also ensures results are delivered within stringent budgetary constraints.

Follow Food & Beverage Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Food & Beverage: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Food & Beverage buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Food & Beverage expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your plant managers, quality leads, and R&D teams into the articles, video, and social content Food & Beverage buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Food & Beverage Insights

Yellow Wood to Acquire Nestlé's Nature's Bounty Platform for $1B

Yellow Wood to Acquire Nestlé's Nature's Bounty Platform for $1B

Yellow Wood Partners agreed on Sept. 1, 2026 to acquire Nestlé's vitamins, minerals and supplements platform, which includes Nature's Bounty, Nuun, Osteo Bi-Flex and Gard, for $1 billion. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first half of 2027.

  • 01Yellow Wood Partners agreed to buy Nestlé's vitamins, minerals and supplements platform for $1 billion on Sept. 1, 2026
  • 02The platform includes Nature's Bounty, Nuun, Osteo Bi-Flex and Gard; The Wall Street Journal cites Sisu as part of a seven-brand portfolio
  • 03The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approval

Sep 10, 2026

Restaurant kitchen automation is moving from robots to connected equipment

Restaurant kitchen automation is moving from robots to connected equipment

Sweetgreen says its Infinite Kitchen can assemble up to 500 bowls an hour and costs $450,000 to $550,000 per unit. Foodservice Equipment and Supplies reports 2024 Kitchen Innovations Award winners are adding sensors, AI and tighter links to POS, KDS and delivery systems. The operational shift is toward automation that removes steps and variability, not fully staffless restaurants.

  • 01The KI Awards trend is integration, robotics that season and pack, and pizza systems designed around POS, KDS and delivery feeds, which is where automation stops being a demo and starts being a production line.
  • 02For operators with small footprints or volatile staffing, equipment that recognizes food and auto-selects cook programs is becoming a training strategy as much as a cooking strategy.

Sep 8, 2026

GLP-1 users cut food spend

GLP-1 users cut food spend

PwC and Acosta Group data show GLP-1 users are spending less on food and changing what they buy. PwC reported GLP-1 users spent about 11% less across most food categories, and the steepest pullbacks were in sweet and salty snacks and baked foods. Acosta Group found users report buying more fresh and high-protein items while reducing purchases of sweets, salty snacks and sugary beverages.

  • 01The bigger operational risk is mix, not just volume: surveys from PwC and Acosta Group point to snack and sugary beverage softness alongside protein and produce lift, a pattern worth validating in loyalty and POS data.
  • 02Pack architecture becomes a supply-chain decision: when 47% of users report smaller portions (PwC), right-sizing case packs, planograms, and menu portions can prevent margin leakage from shrink and waste.

Sep 6, 2026

Explore More Food & Beverage Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Food & Beverage.

Browse Food & Beverage Hub

About the Expert

BC
Barbara Castiglia

Executive Editor

Barbara Castiglia is a leading authority on restaurant and QSR news, restaurant management, and the intricacies of the food & beverage market. As the Executive Editor of Modern Restaurant Management, she possesses a multifaceted skill set as a Writer/Editor and Content Creator. With a rich background spanning newspaper, magazine, television, and online platforms, Castiglia has showcased her expertise in writing, editing, and design. She is renowned for her creativity, consistently transforming concepts into print, steering content direction, tailoring copy for specific audiences, and crafting and formatting layouts. Beyond her technical skills, Castiglia is an exceptional communicator with a strong grasp of business insights. She is a composed professional known for her effective multitasking abilities. In high-pressure, deadline-driven settings, she not only emphasizes product quality but also ensures results are delivered within stringent budgetary constraints.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Food & Beverage and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512