Have you ever planned to grab Chick-fil-A for lunch and thought going through the drive-thru would make it a quick trip, only to pull up to a long line of cars that seemingly moves like molasses? You’re definitely not alone—and luckily, the popular fast food restaurant is now testing a solution at select stores: express drive-thru lanes.
That’s right! At the specific locations testing this new feature, express lanes will be available for customers who have already placed their order on the mobile app, allowing these customers to save time by bypassing the regular drive-thru line. Sounds like some serious VIP treatment to us—maybe we should download the app ASAP!
Here's how it works: once in the app, after you've chosen the location at which you'll pick up your food, you can simply select the "Drive-Thru Express" option before completing your order. Then all you need to do is arrive at the restaurant, pull up through the express lane, scan your QR code on the app, and retrieve your order. Perfect!
Jonathan Lassiter, senior integration leader for Chick-fil-A's service and hospital team, spoke about this new development in a release: “The express drive-thru lane is a game-changer for our busy customers and our team members,” he said. "We see this as a way to serve customers more effectively and give them more control over their experience.
Hopefully, this new feature will help speed things up for everyone involved. According to the release, initial testing proved that it would, thanks to the fact that the guests going through these new express lanes have already ordered and paid. As Lassiter notes, "The lengthiest part of our drive-thru ordering process is the brief wait to get your order taken. The express lane cuts down ordering and payment time significantly, granting customers access to greater speed, ease and convenience when they want it most."
So, when can you expect to see an express drive-thru lane at your own local Chick-fil-A? While 60 U.S. locations are currently testing them, the restaurant says we can likely expect to see more pop up next year. Fingers crossed!
