Why so few drive-through takeaways?

Why so few drive-through takeaways?

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Discussion

calibrax

4,788 posts

210 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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Shaw Tarse said:
I was meaning not many people eat a curry in the car.
Ah I see, sorry! Misread that. getmecoat


SpeedMattersNot

Original Poster:

4,506 posts

195 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
Just don't see the problem.

Near me, there are 4 McDonald's drive through's within a 10minute drive. They are always VERY busy. If I had the choice of a McDonald's, or even a Burger King drive through I would opt for an Italian based one every single time.

Most people I see at Drive through's tend to drive through then park up and eat their food in their car. So I don't see that an a reason why there are not these facilities.

If it was just an Italian one, they could have for example;

5 types of pasta and 6 types of sauces. You pick your pasta...and your sauce...job done?

No?

(if not, back to design my hamster water bottle warning LED project)

rix

2,776 posts

189 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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dazco said:
McDonalds again. I think their coffee is ace, regardless of what coffee snobs say. Compared to other popular offerings, of course.
Agree, best coffee on the high street i reckon, especially their standard black/white stuff. the fact that its half the price of other offerings is just a bonus!

back on topic, in my town there are 3 Mds drive throughs, 2 KFCs and a BK! Maybe says more about the demographics of the town than anything else!

craigjm

17,908 posts

199 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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I hate drive throughs. What is the point in driving up and ordering your food and then sitting in your car to eat it right outside a restaurant where you could have just parked and gone in? Anyone picking up food and taking it off site probably lives very close so thats not a huge catchment and I remember from years ago when friends worked in drive throughs that the food coming to the end of its time goes out on the drive through because they are unlikely to complain whereas restaurant customers will.

giblet

8,824 posts

176 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
Looking at it from the curry point of view someone tried an express curry style place in Leeds and it hasn't worked out well. The guys behind it are Mumtaz who own a rather well known (and not that great imo) curry house in Bradford. They opened up small shops in several locations across Leeds where you could go in and buy any curry with rice in a small takeaway box for £4.50 to be eaten on the go.

The problem with that was the curries seemed to be made in a central location and then delivered to the stores where they were heated up in microwaves in front of the customers, which doesn't exactly look great. Something similar in a drive through style may well have worked as you wouldn't have seen the curry being nuked up to order.

The pasta idea sounds good, but the issue with things like curry is everyone likes a particular style and most people seem to stick to the tried and tested takeaways and restaurants. With places likes McDonalds the menu choices and variations are not vast whereas with curries you can have huge variations.

A local takeaway offers a facility where you order on the phone and drive to the store. They then drop off the food to you in your car so it saves getting out etc and it seems to be quite popular

obob

4,193 posts

193 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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giblet said:
Looking at it from the curry point of view someone tried an express curry style place in Leeds and it hasn't worked out well. The guys behind it are Mumtaz who own a rather well known (and not that great imo) curry house in Bradford. They opened up small shops in several locations across Leeds where you could go in and buy any curry with rice in a small takeaway box for £4.50 to be eaten on the go.

The problem with that was the curries seemed to be made in a central location and then delivered to the stores where they were heated up in microwaves in front of the customers, which doesn't exactly look great. Something similar in a drive through style may well have worked as you wouldn't have seen the curry being nuked up to order.

The pasta idea sounds good, but the issue with things like curry is everyone likes a particular style and most people seem to stick to the tried and tested takeaways and restaurants. With places likes McDonalds the menu choices and variations are not vast whereas with curries you can have huge variations.

A local takeaway offers a facility where you order on the phone and drive to the store. They then drop off the food to you in your car so it saves getting out etc and it seems to be quite popular
A takeaway near me beings the food to my door for no extra charge, absolutely amaaaaaazing!

calibrax

4,788 posts

210 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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SpeedMattersNot said:
5 types of pasta and 6 types of sauces. You pick your pasta...and your sauce...job done?

No?
No. The pasta would almost always be overcooked, as they'd need to keep it warm... so what you'd end up with is slimy mush & sauce.

SpeedMattersNot

Original Poster:

4,506 posts

195 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
calibrax said:
SpeedMattersNot said:
5 types of pasta and 6 types of sauces. You pick your pasta...and your sauce...job done?

No?
No. The pasta would almost always be overcooked, as they'd need to keep it warm... so what you'd end up with is slimy mush & sauce.
Surely, depends on the turn around?

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
calibrax said:
No. The pasta would almost always be overcooked, as they'd need to keep it warm... so what you'd end up with is slimy mush & sauce.
if cooked to under al dente then cooled could be finished off in a sauce in a few minutes no deviation from pasta cookness

mattdaniels

7,353 posts

281 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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Edinburger said:
Why don't we have any drive-through coffee outlets?

In the US you can barely drive five miles without passing one.

Over here we neef to park for a decent coffee or service station for barely drinkable guff.
We do. Or at least, here in Northampton we do.

It's a drive through Starbucks on a retail park. Always struck me as a bit bizarre. Some of the other outlets on the retail park have in house cafe places. The other fast food outlets that do burgers, chicken etc serve Coffee. Not sure what the market is for people in that neck of the woods who decide they need a chocca-wocaa-caramel-frapuccino and need it from a drive thru.

And to the other poster - there are Drive Thru McD's about every 10 miles, not sure which neck of the outback you live in. And their coffee is actually quite nice .

Edited by mattdaniels on Sunday 29th July 22:34

Hugo a Gogo

23,378 posts

232 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
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becuase "They fk you at the Drive-Thru"

dazco

4,280 posts

188 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
calibrax said:
SpeedMattersNot said:
5 types of pasta and 6 types of sauces. You pick your pasta...and your sauce...job done?

No?
No. The pasta would almost always be overcooked, as they'd need to keep it warm... so what you'd end up with is slimy mush & sauce.
When I did a stint as a cook in Spain we cooked spaghetti, fully, put it in cold water and plonked it into boiling water when it was ordered.

It turned my stomach at first but actually tasted fine.

craigjm

17,908 posts

199 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
Hugo a Gogo said:
becuase "They fk you at the Drive-Thru"
He was right they do

SpeedMattersNot

Original Poster:

4,506 posts

195 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
calibrax said:
SpeedMattersNot said:
5 types of pasta and 6 types of sauces. You pick your pasta...and your sauce...job done?

No?
No. The pasta would almost always be overcooked, as they'd need to keep it warm... so what you'd end up with is slimy mush & sauce.
...because people dine at McDonald's for their quality of burgers?

Am I really alone at thinking of this concept???

I'm not talking quality food...I'm just talking, a pasta alternative to McDonald's/Burger King...!

giblet

8,824 posts

176 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
obob said:
A takeaway near me beings the food to my door for no extra charge, absolutely amaaaaaazing!
Holy crap that sounds awesome, could I get some more info about this wonderful place? biglaugh

mattdaniels

7,353 posts

281 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
SpeedMattersNot said:
calibrax said:
SpeedMattersNot said:
5 types of pasta and 6 types of sauces. You pick your pasta...and your sauce...job done?

No?
No. The pasta would almost always be overcooked, as they'd need to keep it warm... so what you'd end up with is slimy mush & sauce.
...because people dine at McDonald's for their quality of burgers?

Am I really alone at thinking of this concept???

I'm not talking quality food...I'm just talking, a pasta alternative to McDonald's/Burger King...!
I don't know what the exact shelf life of a burger is, but I bet it's a lot longer than pasta.

Pasta kinda has to be pasta when you eat it - not a cruchy undercooked denture binding, or gloopy wallpaper paste. A mcdonalds beefburger on the other hand, can taste fresh or like it's been kept warm but it's still edible. Beef burgers are probably more expesive to throw away when not sold in time but the shelf life is longer. Pasta you have to really sell when it's ready or its inedible but it's cheaper food.

SpeedMattersNot

Original Poster:

4,506 posts

195 months

Sunday 29th July 2012
quotequote all
I guess I'm just surprised, that when offering an alternative to McDonald's, I've not been met with as much optimism as I'd of expected!

Pasta can be kept warm (not in water) for hours in things such as bakes...?

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Monday 30th July 2012
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calibrax said:
Burger King, however, only seems to have a handful around the country.
Burger King just seem to be on retreat across the whole country. Their advertising presence seems less than ever before. A quality product for a high street fast food joint, no doubt, but the prices have gotten ridiculous recently.

srob

11,566 posts

237 months

Monday 30th July 2012
quotequote all
I'm with those that wouldn't want the risk of a radioactive hue to my car seats from any spillages! The possibility of phoning through and ordering and being able to pick up a takeaway without having to park up and walk if it's pouring would be good though. Our local ones deliver, but living alone I can never justifying the minimum charge frown

On a similar note, a drive through cash point is what I'd like. I can't see it'd be any less secure than an ordinary one, and if anything safer for those using it! I'm usually on my way somewhere if I need cash, so it makes sense to be able to just call in.

I used to like the drive-through off licences in Australia too smile

Shaw Tarse

31,543 posts

202 months

Monday 30th July 2012
quotequote all
srob said:
Our local ones deliver, but living alone I can never justifying the minimum charge frown
rolleyesredcard