Consumers have embraced curbside pickup during the pandemic, and many appreciate the ability to order ahead from their favorite restaurants and have their food brought out to their car without having to wait in a drive-thru line or leave their car to enter the restaurant.
While consumers might have forgiven some shortcomings in the curbside service they experienced back in 2020, when restaurants were struggling to adjust to the new off-premise dining environment, but two years later they have now come to expect that operators will be able to execute curbside pickup smoothly and efficiently. Gone are the days when operators could tack a handwritten carboard sign to a wooden post in the parking lot to indicate curbside pickup areas, or even print a sign on their office computer and tape it to a wall or window.
Operators now have to think of their parking lots as service areas that are every bit as important to their brand as their dining rooms and their drive-thru lanes. At many restaurant locations, the parking lot has become much more complex for customers to navigate, however, with directions to the drive-thru lanes and waiting areas, the parking areas for in-store dining and the area designated for curbside pickup.
It is essential for restaurants to ensure that wayfinding signage is clear and easy to read to optimize the experience for their guests. Curbside pickup areas need to be distinguished from drive-thru waiting areas, for example. Signage should also be durable, and ideally should complement the branding of the restaurant.
Restaurant operators might also consider including information on the signs such as a parking space number to make it easier for workers to deliver the order, as well as a phone number for customers to call or text when they arrive. Operators also need to carefully consider the location of curbside pickup areas to optimize safety for both customers and workers.
When implemented correctly, curbside pickup can provide a strong point of differentiation for restaurants seeking to provide an alternative to the drive-thru lanes or in-store order retrieval.
FlexPost, which manufactures impact-resistant signposts and bollards for a wide range of industries, can break down the anatomy of a great curbside pickup system,including elements such as placement, traffic flow and visibility. The company has worked with multiple restaurant owners and restaurant facility maintenance professionals to help manage traffic for curbside pickup, drive-thru overflow/lane delineation, and ADA parking. Its flexible signposts and bollard systems save restaurants thousands of dollars annually in parking lot repair and maintenance costs, while improving the customer experience.
FlexPost products meet ADA height regulations and withstand vehicle impacts by remaining flexible and durable during repeated hits, while minimizing damage to parking lots and vehicles. The company also offers custom branding options that can include the restaurant’s logo and can match its color scheme. FlexPost can also support large, nationwide implementations.
The FlexPost-XL heavy-duty flexible signposts and bollards can be quickly installed, offer significant cost savings and are built to withstand the rigors of heavily trafficked parking lots.
Visit flexpostinc.com/restaurant or call 888-307-6610 to learn more.
This post is sponsored by FlexPost