QSR October 2022

October

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S O C T O B E R

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QSR / LIMITED-SERVICE , UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

D E P A R T M E N T S

F E A T U R E S

N E W S 9 SHORT ORDER 22 FRANCHISE FORWARD A Path of Differentiation The road to growth doesn’t always follow the playbook. BY CONOR MORRIS 92 INNOVATION The Rise of the Digital Cafe Menuboard Makeover As drive-thrus progress to a digital age, everything still starts at the ordering point. BY BARNEY WOLF 18 ONES TO WATCH PLNT Burger Celebrities get behind the growth of a category-defining upstart. BY BEN COLEY 96 OUTSIDE INSIGHTS Optimization Trilogy Three analytical approaches that improve menuboard performance. BY TOM COOK AND HOWLAND BLACKISTON 104 START TO FINISH Scott Deviney The leader of Chicken Salad Chick shares an inside scoop on one of the category’s rising stars. Evolution these days isn’t confined to off-premises. BY GARY STERN I N S I G H T 15 FRESH IDEAS

26 / THE ONLY THING SLOWING DOWN TACO BELL’S DEFY SO FAR IS CUSTOMERS STOPPING AND TAKING PICTURES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA.

TACO BELL / GRAPEVYNE MEDIA

26 Defying Gravity BY DANNY KLEIN Taco Bell’s most ambitious prototype in brand history isn’t just a sign of things to come; it’s a signal the industry has evolved into something far more dynamic.

38 The QSR ® Drive-Thru Report BY DANNY KLEIN Technology and

64 Lane Shift Ahead BY DANIEL P. SMITH A look inside the rise of the pickup window— and how it’s emboldened and empowered a wave of fast casuals.

innovation inspired by COVID-19 have turned quick service’s biggest category into something hardly recognizable.

4 BRANDED CONTENT

6 EDITOR’S LETTER

103 ADVERTISER INDEX

O N T H E C O V E R Defy adds another layer to Taco Bell’s rich drive-thru history. PHOTOGRAPHY: TACO BELL / GRAPEVYNE MEDIA

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www.qsrmagazine.com | QSR | OCTOBER 2022

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