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But you can't get fast service if you're stuck behind 20 other cars at a drive-thru window. Reports of long waits at drive-thrus and parking-lot entrances have slowed down the service at some fast-food eateries.
It's gotten so bad that police have been brought in to direct traffic. In July, at a new Sonic restaurant in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., an officer was struck and seriously injured by a driver leaving the popular eatery.
In Peabody, Mass., the opening of the first New England Sonic in August drew excited customers from across the region anticipating their first extra-long chili-cheese Coney hot dog. In the first month, it wasn't unusual for customers to wait in their cars for up to four hours.
"Typically, traffic levels off as the drive-in beomes a more established part of the community," says Christi Woodworth, Sonic's director of external communication. "However Sonic and our franchises continue to work closely with municipal authorities on all issues, including traffic flow around the drive-in."
But longer wait times are becoming more frequent around the country.
On a lunch break last year, Stepfanie Romine was driving to a mall in Cincinnati, Ohio, when traffic slowed to a crawl. Up ahead she noticed two sheriff's deputies directing traffic and assumed there had been an accident. She soon discovered that the deputies were stopping traffic so cars could get out of a Burger King drive-thru. She noticed that another two deputies were doing the same at the Wendy's next door.
"It's frustrating when you're doing lunch-time errands," says Romine, an editor who wrote about her experience on the Daily Spark, a lifestyle blog. "I understand that people need to eat, but at what point do you say to yourself, this is ridiculous? People are stopping traffic to get their 99-cent meals."
At a zoning board meeting last month in Hamilton, N.J., residents turned out to protest the proposed addition of a drive-thru at a local Popeye's that had been at the same location since 1984. The primary complaint? The drive-thru would increase the already high level of traffic in the neighborhood.
The Sonic restaurants in Hasbrouck Heights (the restaurant where the officer was injured) and Totowa, N.J., continue to draw big crowds and plenty of traffic.
"The fact that Hasbrouck Heights has to have an officer directing traffic outside of Sonic is simply ridiculous in itself," wrote a NJ.com reader. "What was the zoning board thinking when they approved this site?"
How's traffic at your local fast-food restaurant? Let us know in the comments below!
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11-27-2009 @11:18AM Chris said... Fast food lines have been horrendous lately... It is forcing customers to 'GASP' actually get out of their cars and walk into the store!
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11-27-2009 @11:46AM Tracy said... I've never seen a long line at any of the drive ins here (South Jersey. Who would need fast food so bad they are willing to wait up to 4 hours?
Gotta love the picture, Chick-fil-a at a McD's drive thru.
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11-27-2009 @3:30PM Patrick R said... There's a Tim Hortons (Canadian coffee/donut chain) not far from my house, so I sometimes stop in there in the mornings.
Almost every time, there is a line of 15 cars at the drive through, but when I walk inside, I never have to wait more than a few seconds. There's even plenty of parking space, so I don't understand what's keeping these people from getting out of their cars like normal people and buying their coffee on foot.
Also, if you're waiting 4 hours for a hot dog that you plan to eat in your car, you need to get your priorities in order. And how does that even work? Were they serving 1 customer every 30 minutes? Or does this place have a drive-through lane that's 20 miles long? Either way, it's a waste of space, time, and all other resources. It's obviously not faster or more convenient, so why do it at all? If everyone just went inside, the restaurant could consolidate its human resources and focus on serving everyone in an orderly fashion, instead of trying to serve 2 separate lineups at the same time.
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11-27-2009 @8:26PM Raiders757 said... @ Patrick
Sonic(the store with the four hour wait) is a drive in style fast food chain. There really isn't an inside. They have a normal drive-thru, as well as pull in stalls where you order from your car, and a walk up area with metal tables, where you can order from a menu with a speaker. With the later two, your food is brought out to you.
When our first Sonic opened, the line went out into the road, so the police had to put up cones and direct traffic for a few weeks. It was madness, and all for food that really isn't all that great.
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11-28-2009 @1:09AM Nick S said... Sonic's food certainly doesn't warrant the lines, but their drinks are pretty good, I guess.
I haven't observed this phenomenon around here, but I live in a pretty small town.
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11-28-2009 @6:08AM J R said... I've written my newspaper op-ed many times about the waste of fuel in drive thru's. If there are two or more in line.....WALK IN! I assure you it will be faster.....plus you will save gas and reduce emissions into the air. Think about it!!
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11-28-2009 @9:25AM diane said... You don't need a comma between "service" and "if".
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11-29-2009 @12:37AM Be original said... ...And McDonald's has added the double order line that feeds into a single delivery line. I believe that explains where the problem starts....the customer.
I have noticed there are a couple of issues for the long lines....
1. A van full of kids with a soccer parent placing an order for each child; the kids are bouncing around inside like be-be's in a metal room. While sitting at the ordering window, the dialog occurs like this...."Jimmy, what do you want.....ummmmmmm let me see, move your head, i can't see the pictures, i want a chicken nugget kiddy meal.....ok, add a chicken nugget kiddy meal....Amanda, what do you want.......ummmmmmm, i want a salad with chicken....ok, add a salad with grilled chicken....Jimmy, stop that, sit down....what do you want Tony......Jimmy pipes back in, I changed my mind, I don't want the chicken nuggets, I want a cheeseburger.....and it goes on and on and on;
or
2. An individual placing multiple individual orders for the friends at the office. Its the I'll fly, you buy mentality. Or worse yet, I'll run out and get the food for everyone so productivity at work can continue. This person pulls up with 10 post it notes and 10 credit cards, places each order, then gets to the payment window and pays for each order separately.
3. Did someone change the drive-thru menus? Last I checked, the fast food restaurants have the same food it did 30 years ago....the menu hasn't changed that much. McDonald's still serves burgers, fries and a drink, just like 30 years ago. People, have you not been to this restaurant before? You must have had a "taste" for this restaurant when you decided to come here, did you not have some idea of what you wanted when you pulled into the parking lot from the street?
Where you don't see a line at the drive-thru....
1. Places that are not catering to the child clientele.
2. Places that offer call ahead options (pre-order or fax in an order).
3. Do not allow multiple orders through the drive-thru.
Upside of drive-thru.
1. I don't have to sit and listen to a parent drone on about counting to 3 if little Suzie doesn't sit down and eat. When did it become acceptable to bargain/negotiate with your children? Who's the adult?
2. I don't have to witness poor social skills and eating habits of people that were never taught proper social and dining etiquette. It ruins a meal to watch someone chew their food because they don't close their mouth or better yet, eat and talk at the same time, you know....see-food.
As a society are drive-thru's perpetuating anti-social behavior and de-construction of common courtesy and etiquette?
People, pull into a parking spot, get out, walk 20 feet and place the order. Better yet, GO HOME AND COOK!!! Have a sit down dinner AS A FAMILY.
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11-28-2009 @6:48AM comisar99 said... HEY!!, I live one block from the Cincinnati wendys and BaBa King, the cops and the back-up happens everyday, no big deal, I drive the back roads and eat a salad
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11-28-2009 @7:02AM LEE said... 4 HOUR WAIT FOR SONIC!? "WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER!"
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11-28-2009 @6:51AM paul smith said... My rule is simple, don't eat fast food!!! It's not good for ya, and maybe instead of waiting in your car for four hours; take a friggin' four hour walk!!!!
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11-28-2009 @7:01AM ROLLANDO said... I rarely use the drive-thru. I prefere to park the car and walk into the restaurant. I get my orders correct. Whenever I use the drive-thru I stand to get the wrong order 50% of the time. Some employees are just too impatient with drive-thru customers. I'm Deaf, so, I have to resort to writing down an order. Sometimes the drive-thru employee has no patience to read note from Deaf people.
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11-28-2009 @7:03AM SuserK3120 said... Going to Starbucks on occasion before work, I eschew the long drive through line by parking and going in the store. Usually, I am out in a few minutes and often walk right past the same folks I passed on my way in to the store. Sometimes I give a little wave and show off my coffee...makes my day!
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11-28-2009 @7:41AM Jess said... The author of this article probably does not realize that the next closest Sonic restaurant is approximately 12 hours south of Long Island. So the fact that it's a little wacky in Hasbrouck Heights Jersey should not surprise ANYONE, let alone the police. People in all surrounding areas are heading to this Sonic considering we all see the commercials on TV about the great deals and great food. Can you blame us? I have not yet ventured to Jersey to get some Sonic but I guarantee if one does not open up nearby, I will make a day out of it with some friends. Maybe people are too hyped about an eatery that is hours away, and requiring hours of wait time. Write your article, and we'll all enjoy the long awaited shakes and tater tots, and the nostalgia of a drive in.
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11-28-2009 @7:18AM Jay Love said... they built a bunch of sonic's here in Pinellas county, (Tampa Bay) and within a few years almost ALL have been shuttered up and closed down? and this area is huge on fast food and eating out in general, I think possibly Sonics are just crappy food to be honest? I have never really enjoyed their food myself, and other posters are right, instead of waiting in a hot car for who knows how long just to get a messed up order, why not simply park, walk your fat arse out and into the place where you can get your order done right and sit there or walk out and drive away? these drive throughs can sometimes be way too long!!!
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11-28-2009 @7:21AM Mouse said... The longest we've had to wait for food in a drive thru line is maybe 15 minutes. We live in Colfax, IA and most times than not, we eat closer to Des Moines.
There are Sonic's here going out of business. Their milkshakes are good though.
We would never wait 4 hours for food! I know hubby would say lets go some place else!!
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11-28-2009 @7:24AM cathy said... The popeyes resturaunt in Hamilton is in a congested area, there is a split off, with lights about every 300 feet, not to mention five points, BUT they have been there since 1984. I highly doubt that a drive thru window would make that much a difference in traffic flow, its much harder to get in/out of the parking lot with all the traffic on the road. The residence knew when they purchased there homes that it was on a major road next to several big intersections and entrances to the highway, and a bunch of businesses as well alot of businesses in the small area, There seems to be more businesses than there are homes there, and if you own a home there you knew what you were getting into when you decided to move there
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11-28-2009 @7:39AM geomcd said... The economy is so bad that waiting lines at eateries is getting longer???? When we don't have money, we eat at home!
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11-28-2009 @7:43AM scott said... anyone notice ALL the places in this story are based around the east coast and not anywhere else? must be a east coast thing 'cause its not like that here in the mid west!
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11-28-2009 @8:12AM jc said... I work at a drive thru and our goal is 3 minutes but when people come through ordering enought food and drinks for an entire household it makes it very difficult. Not to mention when they get to our window and decide, "hey I want to add this and this to my order is that ok?"....be realistic folks.
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