Fast Casual Executive Summit
How can drive-thrus navigate long waits, order accuracy and innovative tech? A panel at the Fast Casual Executive Summit will take a deep dive into the drive-thru landscape.
Photo: Networld Media Group
July 18, 2025 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator
The drive-thru isn’t what it used to be. With the boom in AI technology, digital menu boards and other operational tools, managing a drive-thru is no simple task. In addition, customer demands for a seamless experience have never been higher. Despite these innovations, many of the challenges and opportunities remain the same at the drive-thru. A panel at the Fast Casual Summit, held in Austin, Texas from Oct. 5 to 7 will take a deep dive into the dynamics of the drive-thru, while also improving profits for off-premise orders.
Shokouh Shafiei, president and CEO of DSA Signage will moderate this discussion with panelists Allen Beck, director of off-premise and catering at Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill, Erin Levzow, growth advisor at Batch & Box, John Lucas, VP of brand and franchise development at Farmer Boys and Ashley Reed, director of digital and off-premise sales at Taco Cabana.
The big challenges
When asked what the biggest challenge in the drive-thru was, the panelists agreed that they boil down to basic issues of accuracy and long lines.
“One major challenge in today’s drive‑thru landscape is balancing speed with order accuracy, especially during peak hours. Faster service often leads to more mistakes. Under pressure, teams rushing to push cars through may mishear or mistype orders, which results in increasing errors,” Reed said in an email interview.
Lucas agreed, pointing to “consistent order accuracy” as a huge issue at the drive-thru in an email interview.
Levzow pointed to a different issue in an email interview, that of, “managing long lines and preventing backups, which can lead to customer frustrations.”
Solutions
When examining how to address these challenges, the panelists stated that both technology and training are essential.
Fore example, Reed said that in order to handle mistakes at the drive thru, restaurants should consider, “investing in better tools, such as clearer digital menu boards, and more efficient kitchen workflows. And of course, ensuring staff are well trained to use them effectively.”
Levzow pointed to innovative technology as a solution here, as tools that recognize customers and anticipates their needs can help speed up drive-thru wait times.
“Implementing appropriate technology that recognizes a customer as they pull up can make a huge difference. By creating a truly seamless experience, businesses can enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction. This involves integrating systems that know and anticipate the customer’s needs, minimizing wait times and maximizing convenience,” Levzow said.
What the panel will share
The panelists will go into a deeper dive at the live event into not only how to run the drive-thru more smoothly, but how to create a surprising and fun experience for guests.
For example, the panelists will discuss how AI ordering is moving beyond order taking to offering more personalized experiences.
“I’m especially excited about how they’re evolving beyond simple order taking. It’s conversational and feels natural. The ability to personalize suggestions based on a guest’s ordering history. Fewer mistakes, and upselling capabilities, which is critical in today’s high volume, labor constrained landscape,” Reed said.
Levzow said she was excited to discuss how AI could create a “seamless one-click reorder” based on customers past data.
“The drive-thru is an essential channel for meeting customers where they are. While it often gets treated as a separate entity, it holds a unique opportunity to surprise and delight customers quickly and efficiently. With the right approach, we can transform the drive-thru experience to not only meet but exceed customer expectations, sending them on their way with a positive impression and the desire to return,” Levzow said.
However, despite all this great technology, the panel will also acknowledge the importance of good operational efficiencies and empowering employees to use the technology properly.
“While tech is evolving fast, real magic happens when those tools are paired with consistent execution at the store level,” Reed said. “A perfectly timed order, a clear lane setup, a friendly voice at the window, those details still matter. Get those right, then layer in the tech to scale and optimize.”
Early bird pricing for the Fast Casual Executive Summit ends on July 25. Use the code AMCEDIT20 for 20% off checkout.
