All articles tagged with #drive thru
Salad and Go, the Arizona-born drive-thru chain, will permanently close all remaining Arizona locations on Aug. 5, 2026, citing sustained pressure on consumer demand, past strategic growth challenges, and rising costs; Texas and Oklahoma stores had already closed earlier, and the founders left in 2021 to start Angie’s Food Concepts.
Salad and Go filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will permanently close all 70 drive-thru locations, with final guest service on Aug. 5, 2026, citing sustained demand pressures, rising costs, and industry challenges (including a July Cyclospora outbreak). Founded in Gilbert in 2013, the chain served over 60 million meals, with some Texas and Oklahoma locations already closed.
Culver City is debating extending a temporary moratorium on new drive-thru permits, a move that could block a planned In-N-Out Burger after a 45-day ban and a July expiry, as officials study a permanent ban amid concerns about traffic congestion and safety for nearby schoolchildren and the park.
McDonald's is piloting Archy IQ, an AI-powered drive-thru system developed with Google Edge Cloud, in five stores as part of the McDonald's Next initiative. The system can take orders in English and Spanish and helps managers by flagging bottlenecks, with over 1 million transactions processed and about 90% completed without human escalation. A broader rollout beyond the five test locations hasn't been announced, while customers express frustration over AI replacing human interaction and concerns about jobs.
A 69-year-old man in Nebraska died after being pinned between his vehicle and a building in a McDonald's drive-thru, in what authorities describe as a 'freak accident' caused by the man reaching out of his window, with the incident under investigation.
A 69-year-old man in Nebraska died after being pinned between his vehicle and a building in a McDonald's drive-thru, in what authorities describe as a 'freak accident' caused possibly by the vehicle lurching forward while the man was reaching out the window.
A 69-year-old man died in Nebraska after being trapped between a McDonald's drive-thru window and his vehicle in what authorities call a 'freak accident,' possibly caused by the vehicle lurching forward while he was reaching out of the window to pay.
A dispute at a Florida McDonald's over wait times escalated when two customers threatened an employee with a weapon, leading the employee to shoot in self-defense, grazing one of the customers; the customers fled, and charges were filed against all parties involved.
In-N-Out is opening its first Portland-area restaurant in Ridgefield, Washington, bringing its famous cheeseburgers and drive-thru service to the region for the first time, sparking excitement among local residents eager for the chain's arrival.
Red Lobster and TGI Fridays are closing numerous locations due to financial struggles, creating opportunities for fast-food and fast-casual chains like Chick-fil-A and Chipotle to expand into these spaces, often adding drive-thru lanes. The closures are part of a broader trend where sit-down restaurants are being replaced by more profitable fast-food outlets, driven by changing consumer preferences and economic pressures. The high demand for vacant restaurant spaces is also fueled by limited new construction and attractive locations on high-traffic streets.
McDonald's recent experience with AI voice recognition technology in its drive-thrus highlights the risks of adopting AI too quickly. The fast-food giant decided to discontinue the service after it caused significant issues, underscoring the importance of thoroughly testing new technologies before widespread implementation.
A Taco Bell manager, Becky Arbaugh, saved an 11-week-old baby in the drive-thru by performing CPR after hearing screams and a call for help. The baby, Myles, had stopped breathing, and Arbaugh's quick actions helped him start breathing again before the ambulance arrived. As a mother of four, Arbaugh's experience with CPR from her own daughter's health issues enabled her to act swiftly. Both the mother and Taco Bell have expressed gratitude for Arbaugh's heroic actions.
A quick-thinking Taco Bell manager, Becky Arbaugh, saved an 11-week-old baby who had stopped breathing in the drive-thru by performing CPR. The baby's mother, Natasha Long, had pulled up to the restaurant when she heard her son struggling to breathe and found him blue and lifeless. Arbaugh, a mother of four, rushed to help and successfully performed CPR, ultimately saving the baby's life. The EMT later confirmed her life-saving actions. Taco Bell expressed pride in Arbaugh's heroic act, and she has since connected with the baby's mother and received an outpouring of support from her Taco Bell colleagues.
An 18-year-old woman was shot in the back and left arm at a McDonald’s drive-thru on the Northwest Side of Chicago after an argument with a man who approached on a bicycle. She was in good condition after being transferred to Stroger Hospital, and no one is currently in custody as Area Five Detectives investigate the incident.
A Burger King customer in Ohio pointed a gun at a drive-thru employee after the worker tried to give him a discount on his breakfast order, which led to a confrontation. The incident, captured on surveillance video, occurred in a Cleveland suburb on Easter morning. The customer initially argued about the price of his order, then returned to the drive-thru and brandished a firearm at the employee. Police are seeking the public's help in locating the suspect.