Latest news with #drive-thru
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Drive-Thru Etiquette You Should Be Considerate Of
Ever sat in what feels like an eternal drive-thru line wondering if the people inhabiting the vehicle in front of you have ever "restauranted" before? No option of moving forward and no option of turning back can ramp up claustrophobic tendencies, making you feel trapped. Anyone who has worked a fast food job knows there is a certain etiquette to keep the line a-moving! In the age of instant gratification, we all have places to go and people to see -- or at least food and beverages to consume. Rolling through a drive-thru almost certainly guarantees that passing through patrons are hungry and seeking convenience. Out of respect for their rumbling tummies, take a look through the menu before you approach the ordering area. This will ensure that you don't feel rushed or pressured to make a split minute decision and will also keep those important drive-thru times down. A 2022 study published in PLOS One suggests that feeling 'hangry' could be a real thing. Hunger activated anger is both a physiological and psychological reaction. So, spare yourself the risk of road rage or a hanger-fueled bumper bonk and be ready when it is your turn in the line. This is your time to shine, speedy. With technology at the tip of our fingers, use that smartphone to view the menu online before arriving. Luddite tendencies? You can also opt to enter the establishment and take a gander at the menu from the inside. Drive-thrus have the potential for efficient and expedited experiences, given a little group effort and etiquette. Designed to accommodate a quick transactional exchange, if we all work together, in theory, we can get in and out (or In-N-Out) pretty painlessly. Encourage your particularly slow or disorganized friends and family members to plan ahead. Research is key! Read more: Every Popeye's Side Dish, Ranked Worst To Best Don't Forget The Line Behind You After you've done your homework and drafted up an idea of what you'll order, keep a few additional drive-thru etiquette rules of thumb in mind. For one, don't chat it up too much with your window worker. Kindness will likely facilitate a positive experience for you and the employee alike, but don't forget your fellow passengers behind you in the line! Be polite to everyone involved by keeping conversation concise. No trash talk, and no trash garbage, either. Employees are bustling to prepare and deliver food. Handing them unsanitary garbage will force workers to stop and wash their hands, inevitably slowing down the line. At my first ever job as a teenaged McDonald's crew member, we were forbidden from taking anything except cash and cards from drive-thru patrons. I held strong, although I was asked daily to throw away car debris, soiled food wrappers, and other, icky, miscellaneous litter. Although able to accept coins, paying predominantly in change can also cause drive-thru backups. Workers sifting through small bits of currency prevents their hands from organizing food and may lead them to a sink for a hand wash, which we covered already. Prepare your order, prepare your payment, and prepare your patience. If you find yourself in a real time crunch, Taco Bell is the fast food restaurant with the quickest drive-thru. You can also save everyone time by avoiding placing large orders in the drive-thru. Spread the word; teamwork makes the dreamwork, so educate those around you on these important etiquette practices. With the aforementioned courtesies, you will raise the odds of getting your munchies as quickly as possible. Read the original article on Tasting Table. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Genius McDonald's Drive-Thru Hack We Wish We'd Known About Sooner
The Genius McDonald's Drive-Thru Hack We Wish We'd Known About Sooner originally appeared on Parade. These days, a quick zip through the drive-thru can easily run you $30, especially if you've got a kid or two in tow. But beyond that, if you're eating on the go, there's a whole other problem to contend with—the mess. Napkins slide between seats, fries fall into unreachable crevices, and someone always ends up with ketchup on their shirt or the door handle. So when I saw content creator Lora (@lorafied) share her McDonald's drive-thru hacks for eating on the road without turning your car into a disaster zone, I was in. As someone who practically lives in the car between errands, work and chauffeuring kids, I needed these tips! But one really stood out to me because it's a genius way to eat some of your favorite fast food items without juggling everything on your lap. It's so easy, I can't believe more people don't know about it. Related: 😋😋 SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Pop Kitchen newsletter. 🍳🍔 In the video, Lora says she eats on the run at least once a week, and her kids are munching in the backseat almost daily. If you can relate (I know I can), her hack is going to be a lifesaver. Lora's most genius fast food trick, which she credits to her daughter, balances convenience with practicality, especially when it comes to eating nuggets on the go. In her video, she takes the McDonald's nugget container and places it right on top of her drink cup, threading the straw through the slot in the nugget box lid. It fits perfectly, holding the container steady while giving her one-handed access to the nuggets inside. No more juggling food in your lap or trying to unwrap things while steering—this method keeps your meal in place and your focus on the road. It's such a small detail, but it solves a major drive-thru pain point. The nugget box doesn't slide around, your sauce stays nearby, and the whole setup becomes its own little fast food tray right in your cupholder. This trick turns any car into a functional (and far less messy) dining space. As Lora proves, a little clever thinking goes a long way in making everyday chaos just a bit more manageable. Related: Another clever fast food hack Lora shared in the video involves swapping out some serving containers. When you're ordering, instead of getting fries and/or nuggets in the standard boxes, ask if they can be served in a large cup. Instead of figuring out where to balance the nugget box or the fry container, all you have to do is put the cups in the cupholder, making it safer and easier to eat on the go. Plus, it saves you from having to dig through a bag or worrying about your food tipping over. The cup contains everything in one neat space, and because it's deep, nothing spills out. Nuggets and fries stay upright, crispy and within arm's reach. With Lora's method, your car stays cleaner, your food stays more manageable and your sanity stays intact. Whether you're grabbing a burger between meetings or passing out Happy Meals to a car full of kids, Lora's drive-thru hacks are one of those small, smart ideas that make a huge difference. They keep things clean and simple, and once you try them, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. Up Next: The Genius McDonald's Drive-Thru Hack We Wish We'd Known About Sooner first appeared on Parade on Jul 13, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
CTV News
17-06-2025
- CTV News
Burglar breaks into Sask. Tim Hortons through drive-thru window
WATCH: A Tim Hortons in Estevan, Sask. was the subject of an unusual break-in recently, as the suspect entered through the drive-thru window.
Daily Mail
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Hungry Jacks sparks outrage over major change at drive-thru in Australia
A new trial at Hungry Jack's could mark the beginning of the end for a key fast food job. Hungry Jack's is trialling the use of AI drive-thru assistants at its St Peters restaurant in Sydney, and those wanting a meal will experience a digital voice-activated customer ordering system. The trial will be rolled out to other restaurants in the coming months, and many Aussies have started to question how many fast food workers will lose their jobs in the future. AI expert Niusha Shafiabady told Yahoo Finance that retail jobs were 'very likely' to change soon as AI begins to take over. 'At this stage, people are preparing our food, in the future robots will be preparing our food,' Ms Shafiabady said. 'I would anticipate with the work that Elon Musk is doing in developing humanoid robots that even within the next 10 years people wouldn't be preparing our food.' Restaurants around the world, including KFC, Wendy's, McDonald's, Chipotle, Domino's, and Taco Bell, have trialled AI software. Ms Shafiabady said AI would ultimately save businesses money but also reduce wait times. He said it would also take human error out of the equation, meaning orders would be more accurate and Aussies wouldn't have to turn their cars around and go back to claim a missing hamburger or chips. A Hungry Jack's spokesperson told Yahoo Finance the trial was put in place to see how effective AI technology was in helping 'service improvements'. Some Aussies online were outraged and worried about the new 'scary' AI technology and some even threatened to boycott Hungry Jack's over the trial. 'Goodbye to teenagers who need casual jobs,' one person said. 'How will kids get job experience with these jobs being replaced?' another said. 'You can't convince me all this investment in AI is cheaper than paying real wages,' a third said. Ms Shafiabady said the public would eventually accept AI's role in society. 'Even if they (Hungry Jack's) lose some of their customers in the beginning, people would get used to the technology,' she said. 'If you recall the first time that generative AI tools came to the market, like ChatGPT, people were not really comfortable using it. But now everybody's using them.' Other jobs that are expected to be impacted by AI in the next five years are bank tellers, cashiers, postal workers and administrative assistants, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report. The report predicted about 170million new jobs would be created this decade while 92million would be lost. Ms Shafiabady said the jobs involving repetitive tasks were the ones that would be most likely to be taken over by AI. She also said that while there would be fewer entry-level jobs in the future, AI would open up new job opportunities, with roles in automation, cybersecurity experts and people needed to analyse data. 'That's the reality. The types of jobs of the future will be different from the types of jobs that we have had now, and we have had before,' she said. 'If you look back hundreds of years ago, the types of jobs were different, so we are evolving and the types of jobs will be changing.'
News.com.au
02-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Customer films ‘scary' new AI feature at Hungry Jack's
A fast food customer was left shocked after driving into a Hungry Jack's drive-through, only to be greeted by an AI (artificial intelligence) voice assistant. He took to TikTok to document the bizarre experience in a clip that has since gone viral with nearly 400k views. The video begins with the AI robot speaking to the driver through a digital screen. 'What can I get you?' the female voice assistant asks. The driver, shocked, replies, 'Are you AI?' to which it responded, 'I'm Hungry Jacks' virtual helper'. He then mumbles under his breath, 'That's so cooked,' and proceeds with his order – a large ultimate double whopper meal. @pnuks Rip teenagers wanting a job at @Hungry Jack's 🥲😅💀 ai aijobs hungryjacks hungryjacksfreeglass work employed drivethru ♬ original sound - pnuks The AI assistant confirms, 'Did you want double whopper?' and the customer clarifies he wants the large ultimate double whopper. The robot responds casually, 'Sure,' before asking if he wants his meal with Coke. 'Oh God no,' he replies, taken aback by the drink suggestion. He asks for an orange juice with no ice, and the assistant says, 'Okay,' before he adds another cheeseburger to his order. The AI helper then asks if there's anything else the driver wants before displaying the total bill on the screen and instructing him to go to the next window. 'God, that's so scary,' he says before ending the clip. He wrote in the caption: 'They just installed this last week'. Hungry Jack's confirmed the news, telling that the trial is happening in one specific Sydney store only. 'Hungry Jack's is trialling a new digital voice-activated customer ordering system at the St Peters restaurant drive-through,' a statement read. 'The test aims to determine the effectiveness of the technology in delivering service improvements. Customer feedback will be sought during the trial period. 'It is anticipated that the trial will be rolled out to additional restaurants in the coming months.' In the comments of the clip, many viewers expressed their unease at the new technology, with several echoing the customer's own reaction of being 'scared' by the robot. Some users joked about the end of an era for teenage fast-food jobs, saying: 'How will kids get job experience with these jobs being replaced?' 'You can't convince me all this investment in AI is cheaper than paying real wages,' someone else wrote. Others were outright against the change, with one user saying, 'I hate it' and 'We are doomed'. 'I'm turning into a boomer and driving straight to the window because absolutely not am I doing that,' someone else admitted. 'I hate AI, it's a joke,' another naysayer wrote. 'This is so sad,' another noted, as someone else declared, 'We do not need this'. Others raised accessibility concerns: 'People with accents, we are going to have a hard time with this! Even Siri struggles to understand me'. Meanwhile, some said they were unimpressed with the AI assistant's 'attitude'. 'It's so slow!' quipped one. 'Why is it so rude?' another asked. 'It's so passive aggressive with the 'okay',' said yet another TikToker. However, others were more on board with the concept and even thought the AI was polite. 'I like that she didn't rush you,' said one. Someone else pointed out that the technology will be great to reduce the amount of staff who have to work overnight. It comes after McDonald's ended its test of AI chatbots at drive-throughs in 100 locations around the US in July last year. The burger chain removed the AI-based order systems, giving no public reason for ending its test run, according to Restaurant Business. But it came amid reports of a string of mistakes with diners' meals – with customers saying they often received things they didn't order, according to The New York Post. Some of the mistakes included adding nine sweet teas to one customer's order and giving another customer an ice cream cone with bacon on top. Just months later, KFC Australia began trialling AI drive-through technology in five restaurants across the country, including South Penrith, Wetherill Park, Mt Druitt, Minto, and Frenchs Forest. Its name was Kacy, but despite the personification, the chain assured no jobs were being replaced by the technology. It appears to still be up and running, according to users on TikTok. In October, Australia's healthy fast-food chain Oliver's also introduced an AI drive-through assistant, Ollie, in a bid to shorten wait times. According to QSR, it is the world's first 'contextually aware' AI drive-through order taker. This means it can engage in unscripted, natural conversations and understands a wide range of accents and dialects.
