The menu board also has been redesigned, the menu streamlined and combination meals showcased. But we realized we were missing a huge opportunity and have worked extremely hard to put that culture in place. The plan appears to be working. Current drive-thru time is between four and six minutes, too long compared with where many competitors' times. To speed service, Jack in the Box has introduced new menu boards with more pic-tures and better organization.
Some chains have unique drive-thru issues to contend with.
Battered shrimp, for example, can be held for only 10 minutes, after which they must be thrown out. That makes speed even more critical to the drive-thru process. The average drive-thru time at Long John Silver's is about 70 seconds, which the company would like to see reduced to a minute. It's also test marketing an express menu with 99-cent burgers.