Restaurant Brands, International design group has developed a new concept for Burger King restaurant in response to COVID restrictions.  The prototype facility will provide conventional drive-through convenience with multiple lanes featuring digital boards.  Burger King has reverted to a 50’s drive-in approach to complement limited in-store dining allowing on-premises meals where restrictions are imposed. Customers will park in an area under canopies, place orders using a dedicated Burger King app and have food delivered to their cars. 

Alternatively, customers can dine-in on socially distanced tables located outside.  For pick-up, order can be placed online with meals retrieved from lockers located on the exterior of the restaurant.

It remains to be seen whether other QSR chains including McDonald’s will adopt similar changes that can be retrofitted to existing restaurants where space is available, or whether the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 will require erection of new stores on existing properties.