🍽️ The Death of Dine-In

How Chik-fil-A is betting on a car-first future.

Author

Chris Wright
February 13, 2025

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🚗 How Chick-fil-A Is Making Fast Food Actually Fast

While the rest of the fast-food world was figuring out mobile ordering, Chick-fil-A was sending drones over their drive-throughs. That's not even the wildest part of their quest to serve chicken sandwiches at record speed.

Key Highlights:

  • Chick-fil-A is going full "Moneyball" on drive-throughs, using drones and security cameras to create "game film" that analyzes every second of service

  • The chain hit $21.6B in U.S. sales in 2023 with the highest per-restaurant revenue in fast food - and 60% of that came from drive-throughs

  • Their latest innovation? A four-lane drive-through-only location with an elevated kitchen that can serve 700 cars per hour

  • The chain's success is causing some spicy neighborhood drama - from lawsuit threats to permit rejections due to traffic concerns

  • Despite taking ~8 minutes per order (vs. industry average of 6), they're actually processing more cars faster than competitors

👉️ Why It Matters:

Chick-fil-A’s data-driven approach to drive-through optimization is reshaping the entire fast-food landscape. With drive-throughs now representing a $140B slice of the fast-food pie, their innovations could influence everything from restaurant design to urban planning.

👥 Why Your Control-Freak Tendencies Need to Go

Many successful single-unit franchisees dream of expansion, but the path to multi-unit ownership requires more than just capital and market opportunity. The first step is understanding whether you're prepared for a fundamental shift in your leadership approach.

Key Highlights:

  • The leap from single to multi-unit franchising requires a major mindset shift - you can't micromanage multiple locations

  • Success hinges on building location-level management teams you actually trust

  • Executive-level thinking means mastering strategic vision, emotional intelligence, and clear communication

  • The payoff? While single-unit owners are stuck in daily operations, multi-unit owners can focus on bigger-picture growth

👉️ Why It Matters:

The franchise world is seeing a growing trend of operators expanding beyond single units. But here's the kicker - your success doesn't just depend on capital or market conditions. It's about whether you can transform from a hands-on operator to a true executive leader who empowers others.

💰 Franchising's Trillion-Dollar March

As the economy shows signs of stability, the franchise industry isn't just recovering - it's accelerating toward a milestone that seemed distant just a few years ago. The International Franchise Association's latest report reveals some fascinating predictions about where the industry is headed.

Key Highlights:

  • Franchise businesses are projected to generate $936.4B in economic output for 2025, up from $896.9B in 2024

  • The industry is adding muscle: expecting 20,000+ new locations and 213,000 jobs, pushing total employment past 9M

  • Personal services brands are the hot ticket, with a projected 4.3% growth in locations and 7.5% bump in economic output

  • QSRs are bouncing back after a slow start in 2024, aiming to cross 4M employees and hit $321.8B in economic output

👉️ Why It Matters:

This isn't just about big numbers - it's about where the smart money is flowing in franchising. While real estate franchises are tiptoeing through high mortgage rates (hello, 6%+), personal services and QSRs are showing that adaptation pays off. The shift from pure discount-hunting to value-seeking customers means franchises that nail the quality-to-price ratio could hit the jackpot.

👑 From Corporate Suit to Cooking Oil King

Transforming used cooking oil into a multi-million dollar business might not be everyone's dream career pivot. But for one former corporate professional, this unexpected venture turned into an entrepreneurial success story that's changing the food service industry in New Orleans.

Key Highlights:

  • Carlos's Filta franchise recycled over 1M pounds of oil in 2024, including 72,000 pounds just from the Superdome. Despite zero industry experience, he built a $2.5M revenue business servicing major venues across New Orleans

  • Filta's proprietary filtration system works like "dialysis for cooking oil," extending its life and improving food quality

  • He transformed from hands-on fryer cleaner to CEO-level leader with a full management team

👉️ Why It Matters:

His success proves that with the right system and training, you don't need industry experience to build a thriving business. Plus, it demonstrates how environmental services can be both profitable and impactful.

✂️ Snippets

Ziggi's Coffee just hit the century mark and dropped their biggest franchise deal yet - a 50-unit expansion in Atlanta. The drive-thru coffee brand opened 25 new shops in 2024, snagged USA Today's "Best Coffee Drive-Thru" title, and plans another 30+ locations in 2025. All this from a company that only started franchising in 2016. (Source: Franchising.com)

Riverside just added The Seals (commercial kitchen gasket repair) to its EverSmith platform, marking acquisition #5 since 2020. EverSmith's portfolio now boasts 520+ locations across six brands, from lawn care to disaster cleanup. The real kicker? Their Kitchen Guard brand sold 47 territories in just 6 months. (Source: Franchise Times)

Freddy's Frozen Custard is hitting major milestones - $925M in 2023 sales (eyeing $1B), 553 locations (up 45% since 2019), and a tasty $2M average unit volume. The kicker? They might be prepping for a sale, with two investment banks exploring options as current PE owner Thompson Street Capital Partners hits year four. (Source: Franchise Times)

Eight major restaurant chains just revealed their investment requirements and earnings potential. From quick-service giants to emerging fast-casual concepts, the data shows six- to seven-figure initial investments yielding annual revenues between $1M-7M per location. Most compelling? Several brands are reporting double-digit growth despite ongoing market challenges. (Source: 1851 franchise)