From In-N-Out Burger to Starbucks and McDonald’s, some of the most popular restaurant chains in the U.S. have mastered the art of drive-thru service and credit it as a key factor in their success. Chick-fil-A does around 60% of its sales through its renowned drive-thru lanes, while at McDonald’s that figure is around 70%.
As these companies have leveled up their drive-thru programs over the years, adding everything from multiple lanes to AI-powered ordering tools, they’ve solidified it as a beloved service for millions of customers.
C-stores, meanwhile, have tried to get in on the action for years — but have struggled to make drive-thrus pay off.
Peter Rasmussen, founder and CEO of c-store consultancy Convenience and Energy Advisors, said he’s seen interest cool among c-store operators as the challenges of operating drive-thrus become apparent. Wawa recently shuttered two drive-thru-only locations it had been testing in Pennsylvania, according to local reports. And while national chains like 7-Eleven and Circle K have dabbled in drive-thru service, they haven’t yet scaled them in any meaningful way.
Drive-thru lanes take up valuable real estate that could be used for parking, Rasmussen said. They’re also expensive to build and tricky to operate effectively. Customers can get frustrated by long lines, or when they order an item that’s out of stock or not within easy reach of the employee working the window
Plus, most c-store customers prefer walking into a store and perusing the aisles in-person, Rasmussen said.
“QSRs have had great success with drive-thrus, and that’s why you’ve seen convenience stores try and adopt them. But it’s just a different model,” he said.
Some chains have found success with the service. Sheetz operates dozens of stores with drive-thru lanes, where customers can use touchscreens to order food and other convenience items. GetGo Cafe + Market opened its first new store with a drive-thru in 2023 while Michigan chain Wesco recently opened a location with drive-thru service.
Michael Lawshe, founder of c-store design firm Paragon Solutions, said drive-thru service holds limited appeal for national c-store chains, given the service’s operational complexity and hefty investment. Regional and independent operators, however, can use drive-thru service as an effective differentiator against their large competitors.
“It’s not for the faint of heart, but it can be very lucrative,” said Lawshe.
One complicating factor is assortment. Whereas restaurants have a limited number of menu items for customers to choose from, c-stores have hundreds, if not thousands, of products. How can all of that funnel through a drive-thru?
Lawshe and Austin Burns, Paragon’s president and CEO, said c-stores need to focus on playing the hits. Their drive-thru menu boards should show their most popular items, and workers should have only fast-moving products close at hand, including coffee and soda.
“We can anticipate, using data, exactly what’s going to go through the drive-thru, and we can get that right 85% to 90% of the time,” said Lawshe, noting that many people who use drive-thrus are repeat customers.
Pak A Sak, a chain of more than 20 c-stores based in Amarillo, Texas, gives drive-thru customers a preview of the beverage coolers it uses to fulfill orders. This display, which drivers can see through a long window in the drive-thru lane, helps spur demand and gives people a sense of the variety of items they can buy, according to the company’s website.
A video on Pak A Sak’s site shows drive-thru employees greeting customers by name as they pull up and handing out treats to pets that are along for the ride.
Rasmussen, who spent nearly two decades with Wawa earlier in his career, said c-store chains with strong loyalty and order-ahead capabilities could use a drive-thru window as a pickup point. Still, he suggested that self-checkout kiosks and mobile ordering are better investments for c-stores looking to boost convenience.
“I tried [drive-thru] when I was a retailer and I couldn’t get it to work,” Rasmussen said
