America’s appreciation of the drive-thru has grown into a love bordering on obsession, according to new research.
Nearly half (47%) of consumers won’t even consider frequenting a fast-food restaurant, bank, drug store or other retail establishments unless it sports a drive-thru, according to a survey by OnePoll. The canvass of 2,000 shoppers was conducted in mid-July on behalf of Dutch Bros, a drive-thru coffee chain.
Consistent with that bias, the findings indicate that about a third of shoppers (32%) will invariably opt for a drive-thru establishment if one is available.
The survey shows that “drive-thru” is no longer synonymous with “restaurant.” Participants voiced their preference for not leaving their cars while banking, having prescriptions filled, picking up groceries or fulfilling other chores. The most-cited reasons were faster service (mentioned by 61% of respondents), the comfort of staying in their cars (61%) and avoiding long lines (52%).
But restaurant drive-thrus still snag the most usage. Three times a week, 63% of car-bound customers pull up to the microphone to order coffee, and 60% use the option to pick up fast-food.
Reliance on the service mode is strongest from morning through midday, with 35% of drive-thru users rolling down their windows between 8 a.m. and noon.
The busiest time for a drive-thru, the research found, was 12:55 p.m.
But it also revealed that roughly 1 of 4 consumers would like to see drive-thrus continue to sell coffee and food past midnight and through the early morning hours.
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