Drive-Thru Operations
Keep the lanes moving with fast order taking, clear communication, and timer awareness.
Drive-Thru Roles
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Order Taker | Greets guests, takes orders via headset, enters into POS |
| Window Cashier | Collects payment and hands out orders |
| Expeditor | Assembles and verifies order accuracy |
| Lane Monitor | Watches lane timers and manages flow |
During slower periods one person may cover multiple roles.
Lane Monitoring
The drive-thru screen shows each lane with real-time data:
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vehicle count | Number of cars in the lane |
| Current wait | Time since the lead car arrived at the speaker |
| Average time | Rolling average service time |
| Lane color | Green (on target), yellow (slowing), red (over target) |
Multi-Lane Support
If your location has dual lanes:
- Each lane appears as a separate column
- Orders are tagged with the lane number
- The merge point is highlighted so the expeditor knows the sequence
Order Taking via Headset
Starting an Order
- When a car pulls to the speaker, the headset beeps
- Greet the guest: "Welcome to [Restaurant], what can I get for you?"
- Enter items on the POS as the guest speaks
- The POS is set to Drive-Thru Mode with larger buttons and streamlined categories
Best Practices
- Repeat the order back before confirming
- Upsell once ("Would you like to make that a combo?")
- Confirm total and direct to the window
- Use item shortcuts on the POS for speed
Voice AI Assist
If AI order-taking is enabled:
- The system transcribes speech and auto-suggests items on screen
- You confirm or adjust before sending
- Say "Hey Maximus, confirm order" to finalize
Headset Usage
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Talk to guest | Press and hold the talk button |
| Talk to crew | Tap the crew channel button |
| Mute | Tap mute; indicator light turns red |
| Adjust volume | Use the side dial |
| Switch lanes | Tap the lane toggle (dual-lane setups) |
Keep your headset charged -- swap batteries during shift changes.
Timer Management
Drive-thru timers track every step of the customer journey:
| Timer | Measures |
|---|---|
| Greet time | Speaker arrival to first staff response |
| Order time | Greeting to order confirmed |
| Service time | Order confirmed to food handed out |
| Total time | Speaker arrival to departure |
Targets
Your manager sets targets for each timer. Common goals:
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Greet time | Under 5 seconds |
| Total time | Under 3 minutes |
| Cars per hour | 40+ during peak |
When Timers Go Red
If a timer exceeds the target:
- A chime sounds on the drive-thru screen
- The manager dashboard shows an alert
- Focus on clearing the current car quickly
- Communicate delays to guests waiting
Payment at the Window
The window cashier processes payment using the same methods as the indoor POS:
- Card (tap, chip, swipe)
- Cash
- Mobile pay
- Gift cards
Orders are pre-totaled from the speaker, so payment is quick.
Order Accuracy
The expeditor verifies each order before handing it out:
- Check items against the ticket on screen
- Verify special requests and modifications
- Bag and label the order
- Hand to the window cashier for delivery
A bump screen at the window shows the order for final confirmation.
Voice Commands
| Say | Action |
|---|---|
| "Show drive-thru" | Open drive-thru lane view |
| "How many cars in line?" | Get current vehicle count |
| "What's the average time?" | Check rolling service average |
| "86 the milkshake" | Mark item unavailable across drive-thru |