Chick-fil-A is, quite literally, reaching new heights this week.
The Atlanta-based chicken sandwich restaurant chain announced Wednesday it will open its first elevated drive-thru eatery Thursday just outside of the Peach State’s capital city.
Roughly 25 miles south of Atlanta, the drive-thru only restaurant on Jodeco Road in McDonough will feature an elevated kitchen with a “unique meal transport system” above four service lanes. The design was created to alleviate the sluggish wait times that have been slowing down the fast food chain.
“Our guests lead busy lives, and we’re focused on designing our restaurants to best serve their needs,” Jonathan Reed, executive director of design for Chick-fil-A, said in a news release. “With the new Elevated Drive-Thru design, featuring our first four lane drive-thru, we’re aiming to deliver quality food and genuine hospitality in a way that’s uniquely Chick-fil-A, and gives our guests time back in their day.”
According to Chick-fil-A, the new restaurant will be capable of serving two to three times as many customers as its standard drive-thru eateries.
The chain had the slowest drive-thru service among all large fast-food chains in 2019, with an average wait time of five minutes and 23 seconds, according to an industry publication by QSR. Chick-fil-A retained the title of slowest drive-thru for the next three years.
In 2023, it outranked the competition for the busiest drive-thrus in America.
To honor the new eatery, Chick-fil-A will award 100 “local heroes making an impact in the Stockbridge/McDonough community” with free entrees for a year. It will also donate $25,000 to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks.
About the Author
