| In today's fast-paced world, you can get just about anything from a drive-thru window, which is great because lets face it sometimes we are in a rush or we are just too lazy to get out of the car and walk a couple of steps into the restaurant. Today's consumer does all of this without even getting out of the car. For better or worse, the drive-thru has certainly changed our everyday lives. Question is how did we get here? Well here’s some history on the drive thru. The Americans pioneered the drive thru, this type of service was provided because businesses wanted to assure that customers could purchase their products without leaving their vehicles. Amazingly the drive-thru was first created by the bank, which and not by a restaurant surprisingly in 1941 then evidently enough the fast food restaurants caught on to this fantastic idea! The creation of the very first drive-thru restaurant was created by a man named Sheldon “Red” Chaney, he was the operator of Red’s Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri, in 1947. Red’s Giant Hamburg was located on the famous Route 66, the restaurant served customers until they shut down in 1984. The epic creation of the drive-thru option for customers allowed Mr. Chaney to cut business costs by eliminating the carhop service. The carhop service is described as a waiter or waitress that would bring your desired meal to you on foot or roller skates to your car at drive-in restaurants. The drive-thru concept was a phenomenon and spread like wild fire throughout the United States! By the 1950’s restaurants with drive-thrus were very common throughout communities, then before you know the idea of having a drive-thru was necessary and was adopted overseas. Further along the year’s new design elements were added to the drive-thru concept making the idea better. For example in 1948 Harry and Esther Snyder opened their first In-N-Out Burger in Baldwin Park, CA. The Snyder’s were the first establishment to use a two-way intercom for customers to place their orders from a mic/speaker stand. Then the customers would pull up to a window where they pay and receive their order. Now a days having drive-thrus at fast-food restaurants is normal in the 21st century, because of our increasingly fast-paced society. |
The drive-thru is an example of a service that is an intangible product, as well as it was an idea and or concept that was used and was further enhanced by making adjustments to the original idea. For example, we have added an intercom system at drive-thrus which indicates what you are about to purchase, shows your item names with prices and totals up your order, which is all shown on the screen for the customer to physically see. The idea of the drive-thru was amazing because if you take a look around you, every fast food and business have a drive-thru, evidently enough Sheldon “Red” Chaney created an evolution in the fast food world and for businesses in general! He made history and it was a great success! He wanted to standout from his competitors, and that’s what he did! Drive-thrus are so important in the 21st century because our society is so fast paced. Drive-thrus are great, for instance it allows a mother and her infant to just order at an intercom instead of her having to get out of the vehicle and to take out her stroller is a handful especially when by herself. Allowing her to go through the drive-thru saves her time and energy. The aspects of the drive-thru is very helpful to people and their lives in many ways for example when I am in a rush I usually go to the drive-thru because I do not have enough to time to find parking, to go inside of the restaurant and to wait in line. The drive-thru has affected me positively and negatively. For example when I am lazy and do not want to get of the car because had a long night of partying the day before I chose the drive-thru, evidently enough I do not want everybody to see me and sometimes I just don’t have the patience and energy to physically walk into the restaurant. The drive-thru speeds up the ordering process making it easier to handle customers’ orders because two sections organize it. With so many choices, customers are not willing to waste their precious time so they choose to go to the drive-thru. This idea was so important because in my eyes Sheldon “Red” Chaney created a whole new lifestyle and set a trend for customers.
Sources: http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2013/09/30/101073655-174342401.530x298.jpg?v=1380567975
http://www.wisegeek.org/when-was-the-first-drive-thru-restaurant-created.htm
http://drdrivethru.blogspot.ca/2010/02/drive-thru-101-history.html
https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&q=sheldon+red+chaney+owner+of+Red%E2%80%99s+Giant+Hamburg+&ei=4FEnVaTiIsPSsAXWsYCgDA
http://www.wisegeek.org/when-was-the-first-drive-thru-restaurant-created.htm
http://drdrivethru.blogspot.ca/2010/02/drive-thru-101-history.html
https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&q=sheldon+red+chaney+owner+of+Red%E2%80%99s+Giant+Hamburg+&ei=4FEnVaTiIsPSsAXWsYCgDA