What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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featured dining guide story Advertorial Feature Drive-through etiquette 42 What's up! october 24-30, 2021 By Karen rice | northwest arKansas Democrat-Gazette D rive-throughs have been in operation since 1947, and people haven't stopped using them ever since. In fact, during the pandemic, the drive- through helped many restaurants here in Northwest Arkansas thrive during a challenging time in the industry. Restaurants that were able to stay afloat due to drive-throughs and other takeaway options can thank Red's Giant Hamburg in Missouri for the success of their drive- through operations. Red's is generally considered to be the first true drive- through, according to Money magazine. In 1948, a year after Red's opened its drive-through, In-N Out Burger opened a drive-through and put to use a state-of- the-art two-way speaker box. Since the early days of drive-throughs, many different businesses have utilized drive-through windows. Banking has been streamlined thanks to drive-up ATM machines and drive-through teller windows. People can pick up vital prescription medications from drive-throughs at their local pharmacies. Drive-throughs at coffee shops keep busy commuters moving and caffeinated. They are a boon to busy parents with kids in the car, or even furry friends. Visiting drive-through windows has become second nature, and most of us can barely remember a time before drive-throughs were part of our everyday life. And as with other things in life, civility and common sense go a long way when taking advantage of this modern convenience. · Cease your mobile phone conversation. As you pull up to the drive- through speaker while on the phone, end the call or ask the other person to wait a moment. Give your full attention to the person taking your order. An informal poll of drive-through order takers found this was one of the biggest frustrations about drive-through customers. · Know your order. Be sure to ask everyone in the car what they want before getting in line. According to a QSR Magazine study in 2018, the average serving time for the top 10 fast food chains was 234.08 seconds, or roughly 4 minutes. Transactions are sped up by customers being ready to order when asked and having their means of payment available when the drive to the payment window. · Visit drive-throughs in the morning or afternoon. The wait for drive-throughs for breakfast and lunch are less lengthy than they are at dinnertime. However, the optimal time of day to go through a drive- through is mid-afternoon, when average wait times are 173 seconds and service tends to be friendlier.