I compared McDonald's drive-thru and Sonic's drive-in, and saw how both approaches contributed to sales growth during the pandemic

Drive-thrus are key for McDonalds. About 95% of the chain’s nearly 14,000 US locations have drive-thrus, with 25,000 worldwide.

Source: Restaurant Dive

“Drive-thru made McDonald’s what it is today,” McDonald’s CEO and president Chris Kempczinski said in an earnings call in April.

During the pandemic, drive-thrus became more important than ever, making up 90% of orders.

I gave the classic drive-thru experience a try to see how one of the biggest chains in the world stands up to other formats.

Source: Insider

I used the McDonald’s app to order a quarter pounder and Big Mac, and of course fries.

The app is pretty standard compared to other fast food mobile ordering. I selected my order and location and then went to pick it up through the drive-thru.

The app gave me a short code to give the worker at the speaker, which I think made things move slightly faster than trying to repeat my name a few times.

My McDonald’s location has double drive-thru lanes, a relatively recent innovation that was added to reduce wait times and bottlenecks.

McDonald’s corporate has been pushing franchisees to upgrade drive-thrus since 2019 after years of increasingly long wait times.

Source: Insider

McDonald’s average drive-thru wait times got slower every year for six years through 2019, leading to an all-time high of 273 seconds.

Source: QSR

Along with double lanes, consolidating menus by removing options like grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, and all-day breakfast cut wait times.

Source: Insider

I had a fairly simple order, but I didn’t wait more than five minutes to receive my food.

McDonald’s has also been investing in a curbside pickup program, with designated numbered parking spots where employees can bring out food to waiting customers.

Next up, I went to Sonic, which has a drive-thru along with a drive-in.

Source: Insider

Sonic’s drive-in model thrived during the pandemic as competitors closed dining rooms.

Sonic operates a drive-thru, dining room, and drive-in. The drive-in has 15 to 20 parking spots with their own speakers to order food, which is brought outside by the car hop.

The drive-in area is under a covering that keeps it comfortable in hot temperatures or rainy weather.

The drive-in section is just across the parking lot from the entrance.

There’s also a small outdoor seating area.

Normally customers would also have the option of ordering and eating inside, but the dining room was still closed.

Each drive-in spot is essentially a drive-thru in miniature, with a sign displaying Sonic’s massive menu. Customers press the red button to signal that they are ready to order, and a worker will take their order through the speaker.

Most of the sign is a static display, but there is also a digital screen that shares information. In this case, it said that some ingredients were not available because of supply issues across the entire industry.

I ordered through Sonic’s app before I arrived, which gave me time to look through the extensive menu that experts say is key to the chain’s success.

Source: Insider

The menu has typical fast food fare comparable to McDonald’s – burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries.

Unlike many competitors, it also has a wide selection of snacks including different types of tater tots, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and soft pretzels. Analysts said that the comfort food not tied to a specific meal time may have also contributed to Sonic’s success.

Sonic’s drinks are a major part of its appeal to customers. Sonic’s president told Insider that 25% of all orders are drink-only, and there are 1.3 million possible drink combinations on the menu.

Source: Insider

There are so many options to add to a drink that it’s almost overwhelming. I finally went with a diet coke with cranberry flavor and lime.

Once you finish ordering on the app, check out and pay.

When you arrive, the app prompts you to say where you are parked. Each spot in the drive-in has a corresponding number.

Both Sonic and McDonald’s have added ID numbers that reduce the chances of miscommunication between customers and employees.

The app gives updates about order status while you wait.

Once you’re checked in on the app, you can also see your order status on the screen. The screen informed me when a carhop was heading out with my order.

Carhops bring out food and drinks to customers waiting in parking spots.

A server brought out my food and drinks within a few minutes, boxed up conveniently for transport.

The drinks, a milkshake and a flavored coke, were probably the highlight of our trip – and definitely worth a visit on their own.

Some people eat in their cars, but I chose to drive home because the snacks I ordered were fairly messy.

After my visit, I’m not surprised that Sonic grew so much during the pandemic. It sells snacks and drinks that make a perfect treat any time of the day, and the drive-in has very minimal contact with other people for safety.

Sonic has a lot of room to grow before it rivals McDonald’s, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the success continues. Sonic’s drive-in model is a smart way to get around the bottlenecks that plague drive-thrus.

The typical drive-thru exemplified by McDonald’s is more versatile, though. It takes up less space, and adding a few curbside spots has a similar effect as the drive-in. Both are well-positioned to grow off-premise dining as it stays key to their businesses.