Chick-fil-A Unveils Conveyer Belt Drive-Thru-Only Restaurant and Brings Back Classic Menu Items
Chick-fil-A is piloting a new approach to delivering food to customers with a cutting-edge restaurant design.
On August 22, the fast-food chain unveiled its latest innovation: a two-story restaurant located at 2155 Jodeco Road in McDonough, Georgia. This new concept is part of a series of experimental restaurant models the brand has been testing throughout the year.
Unlike traditional Chick-fil-A locations, this new restaurant does not feature dine-in seating. Instead, it focuses exclusively on drive-thru service. The facility includes a kitchen that is twice the size of those in standard Chick-fil-A outlets, designed to support four separate drive-thru lanes. This expanded capacity allows the restaurant to handle up to three times the number of vehicles compared to a typical Chick-fil-A, according to a press release.
The restaurant’s drive-thru lanes are divided into two categories. Two lanes are designated for customers who have placed online orders in advance, while the remaining two lanes are for those who wish to place orders directly with Chick-fil-A employees.
To streamline service, the restaurant employs a conveyor belt system that transports food from the upstairs kitchen to the employees downstairs. The system is designed to move food every six seconds, enhancing efficiency and reducing wait times for customers.
While this new concept is currently being tested in McDonough, Chick-fil-A is also reintroducing several popular menu items nationwide. On August 26, the chain brought back the banana pudding milkshake after a 13-year absence. The milkshake, made with real banana vanilla ice cream and vanilla wafer cookies, is topped with whipped cream and a cherry.
In addition to the milkshake, Chick-fil-A is launching a new banana-frosted coffee. This beverage combines the flavors of the milkshake—ice cream, banana, and wafer cookies—with cold brew coffee for a new twist on a classic flavor combination.
The chain is also reviving its honey pepper pimento chicken sandwich, which is now available with a choice of original or spicy chicken. The sandwich features a topping of honey, pimento cheese, and pickled jalapeños, served on a toasted bun.
These updates reflect Chick-fil-A’s ongoing efforts to innovate and cater to customer preferences, whether through new restaurant formats or returning favorite menu items.
