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See the biggest and most ambitious drive-thru concepts from Taco Bell, Burger King, and KFC

See the biggest and most ambitious drive-thru concepts from Taco Bell, Burger King, and KFC

Mary Meisenzahl

The mobile lane of the drive-thru.Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Several major fast food chains have announced plans for larger drive-thrus with more lanes.
Other fast-casual chains are opening their first ever drive-thrus.

Burger King announced new minimalist, futuristic restaurant designs last year.

Burger King

Source: Insider

The restaurants will have more options for customers to get their orders conveniently, including drive-thru, drive-in, or curbside pickup.

Burger King

Source: Insider

For drive-in orders, customers park under solar-powered canopies while they wait for workers to bring their food out. Orders are placed by scanning the QR code associated with the parking spot.

Burger King

Source: Insider

The designs also come with redesigned drive-thrus.

Burger King

Source: Insider

Three separate drive-thru lanes are designed to keep traffic moving and get orders out faster.

Burger King

Source: Insider

Burger King's kitchen will be upstairs, above the drive-thru, allowing the restaurant to take up a smaller physical footprint. Conveyor belts will deliver orders to the cars below.

Burger King

Source: Insider

There will even be a lane specifically designated for delivery drivers on motorcycles.

Burger King

Source: Insider

These "restaurant of the future" ideas are for a post-COVID world, but the restaurants are still centered around mobile and drive-thru orders and the idea that people want to get their food as quickly and seamlessly as possibly.

Burger King

Source: Insider

Taco Bell introduced it's own large drive-thru concept this year, with plans to open in 2022.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

Three lanes will be for mobile and delivery orders, serving customers who ordered on the Taco Bell app or another delivery service.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

The concept includes a section for customers to park and order on their phones.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

The fourth drive-thru lane will be more traditional, where customers order and receive their food.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

Mobile order customers, who will presumably make up a higher proportion of customers at this location, can scan their orders with QR codes at digital check-in screens.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

The actual process of getting food "defies gravity," according to Taco Bell.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

Food delivery is contactless through a lift system, along with audio and video connections to Taco Bell staff.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

Taco Bell's kitchen will be elevated above the drive-thru lanes, which minimizes the footprint of the restaurant.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

The new Taco Bell Defy location is scheduled to open in summer 2022 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

Taco Bell's new concept is set to open in summer 2022. Taco Bell

Source: Insider

KFC's Next Generation prototype includes many of the same design ideas as the others.

KFC

Double drive-thru lanes have become commonplace in the fast food world as drive-thru traffic grew over the last year and a half.

KFC

KFC also included a digital menu board and overhang to protect from the elements.

KFC

There are no conveyor belts in this design. Instead, the lines merge together to pay and get their orders at the window.

KFC

There are reserved spots for picking up mobile orders, though.

KFC

Other spots are also reserved for delivery drivers.

KFC

Customers with online orders also have a special entrance to avoid the regular line and get their food.

KFC

Shake Shack's plans for its first-ever drive-thru are ambitious.

Shake Shack

Source: Insider

It will have three lanes: two traditional lines, and one for orders from the app.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack plans to roll out up to eight drive-thru sites across the US by mid-2022. Restaurants will have digital menu boards, a two-lane ordering system, and a separate pick-up window for ease of convenience.

Shake Shack's drive-thru rendering. Shake Shack

Along with the drive-thru, Shake Shack will roll out separate lanes for customers who have pre-ordered digitally, called the "Shake Track."

Shake Shack

Other chains that haven't traditionally had drive-thrus are getting into the game too.

Shake Shack

Fast-casual chain Qdoba quickly converted some restaurants into drive-thrus in 2020, with plans to continue adding more.

Qdoba

Salad chain Sweetgreen announced plans for its first drive-thru, with a "dedicated concierge for in-car ordering," and a typical lane for picking up food at any drive-thru.

Sweetgreen concept. Sweetgreen

Source: Insider

Sweetgreen says it will have solar panels and a "transparent" design to show off the kitchen and prep areas.

Sweetgreen concept. Sweetgreen

Panera Bread, another fast-casual chain, debuted a design for new drive-thru stores with footprints only one-fifth the size of typical stores.

Panera Bread

Source: Insider

Customers will be able to order from their phones for dine-in, drive-thru, delivery, and rapid pick-up.

Panera Bread

Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.

See the biggest and most ambitious drive-thru concepts from Taco Bell, Burger King, and KFC

Mary Meisenzahl

Burger King announced new minimalist, futuristic restaurant designs last year.

The restaurants will have more options for customers to get their orders conveniently, including drive-thru, drive-in, or curbside pickup.

For drive-in orders, customers park under solar-powered canopies while they wait for workers to bring their food out. Orders are placed by scanning the QR code associated with the parking spot.

The designs also come with redesigned drive-thrus.

Three separate drive-thru lanes are designed to keep traffic moving and get orders out faster.

Burger King's kitchen will be upstairs, above the drive-thru, allowing the restaurant to take up a smaller physical footprint. Conveyor belts will deliver orders to the cars below.

There will even be a lane specifically designated for delivery drivers on motorcycles.

These "restaurant of the future" ideas are for a post-COVID world, but the restaurants are still centered around mobile and drive-thru orders and the idea that people want to get their food as quickly and seamlessly as possibly.

Taco Bell introduced it's own large drive-thru concept this year, with plans to open in 2022.

Three lanes will be for mobile and delivery orders, serving customers who ordered on the Taco Bell app or another delivery service.

The concept includes a section for customers to park and order on their phones.

The fourth drive-thru lane will be more traditional, where customers order and receive their food.

Mobile order customers, who will presumably make up a higher proportion of customers at this location, can scan their orders with QR codes at digital check-in screens.

The actual process of getting food "defies gravity," according to Taco Bell.

Food delivery is contactless through a lift system, along with audio and video connections to Taco Bell staff.

Taco Bell's kitchen will be elevated above the drive-thru lanes, which minimizes the footprint of the restaurant.

The new Taco Bell Defy location is scheduled to open in summer 2022 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

KFC's Next Generation prototype includes many of the same design ideas as the others.

Double drive-thru lanes have become commonplace in the fast food world as drive-thru traffic grew over the last year and a half.

KFC also included a digital menu board and overhang to protect from the elements.

There are no conveyor belts in this design. Instead, the lines merge together to pay and get their orders at the window.

There are reserved spots for picking up mobile orders, though.

Other spots are also reserved for delivery drivers.

Customers with online orders also have a special entrance to avoid the regular line and get their food.

Shake Shack's plans for its first-ever drive-thru are ambitious.

It will have three lanes: two traditional lines, and one for orders from the app.

Shake Shack plans to roll out up to eight drive-thru sites across the US by mid-2022. Restaurants will have digital menu boards, a two-lane ordering system, and a separate pick-up window for ease of convenience.

Along with the drive-thru, Shake Shack will roll out separate lanes for customers who have pre-ordered digitally, called the "Shake Track."

Other chains that haven't traditionally had drive-thrus are getting into the game too.

Fast-casual chain Qdoba quickly converted some restaurants into drive-thrus in 2020, with plans to continue adding more.

Salad chain Sweetgreen announced plans for its first drive-thru, with a "dedicated concierge for in-car ordering," and a typical lane for picking up food at any drive-thru.

Sweetgreen says it will have solar panels and a "transparent" design to show off the kitchen and prep areas.

Panera Bread, another fast-casual chain, debuted a design for new drive-thru stores with footprints only one-fifth the size of typical stores.

Customers will be able to order from their phones for dine-in, drive-thru, delivery, and rapid pick-up.

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