Brands Invest In New Sites As U.K. Drive-Through’s Boom

Thanks to social distancing, scores of restaurants are opting for a more U.S. drive-through style.

 Although drive-through restaurants were more of a U.S.-inspired novelty, the increase in U.K. sites with the aim to offer food through your car window is astounding. The current pandemic is hugely responsible for this, however it is expected that this latest trend will remain long after the pandemic dies down. Even the upmarket names are looking to serve food through car windows for the first time ever.

New property research has shown a 25% increase in drive-through properties since Covid. That’s a lot of fast food becoming a lot more accessible in the times where social distancing is not only preferred, but also sometimes imposed. The competition between the more established names in take-aways, and the influence of the North American brands fighting for space in the U.K. now is more demanding than before.

Even the more healthy fast food chains such as Leon or Five Guys have been set on opening their first ever drive-through sites in Gildersome, West Yorkshire and Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, respectively. The number of drive-through visits made to the 2,000 odd restaurants within the U.K. rose from 440 million in April 2020 to around 490 million in April 2021. Researchers have also found that customers place larger orders at a drive-through thus spending around 25p more per take-away than walk in orders. Obviously, the growth here came at the expense of the sit-down dining restaurants.

The other bonus for investors is that by running a take-away business, you generate high sales and require fewer staff than a sit-down property increasing profits further. The demand for these sites has increased by around 25% since Covid, with around 200 new sites being required per year. This pressure to offer significant sites, along with the competitive bidding for the ideal locations required is pushing property values much higher than previous.

One thing to bear in mind though is the fact that Drive-through’s encourage people to remain separated from one another, by travelling solely in vehicles, to merely collect their meal and drive back home. There is no question that drive-throughs are convenient, especially for shift workers, young families, or those on a long journey just looking for a bite, however the convenience comes at a societal cost.

The question is whether that is a price worth paying?