Drive-thrus: Fastest food

Ordering a meal, paying for it, and picking it up without leaving our cars has changed everything for the fast food industry.

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Drive-thrus: Fastest food
Graphic: Vicky Leta

What began with a simple window has become an exercise in efficiency—and fast food chains are always looking for ways to move more people through drive-thrus more quickly. But until recently, the technology hadn’t changed all that much in the past few decades. Now, the age of artificial intelligence has ushered in new ways to shave off valuable seconds. Drive-thrus have become such cash cows that more and more fast food locations are doing away with the in-house dining experience full stop. Will the future of drive-thrus be a dystopian tech-nightmare, or a fast and easy way to get our burgers and fries? (Presented by Deloitte).

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Featuring

Thomas Germain is a technology reporter at Gizmodo and one of the hosts of the Quartz Obsession podcast. He’s obsessed with guitar pedals, finding new restaurants, and his TikTok account.

Angela L. Pagán is a staff writer for The Takeout. She’s obsessed with her hometown of Chicago, class-action food lawsuits, and pickles.

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Show notes

Taco Bell DEFY, Nation’s Restaurant News

McDonald’s Snack Wrap ad, 2009

CosMc’s

Quartz Obsession: Automats by Sarah Todd


Credits

This episode of the Quartz Obsession was produced by Freddie Beckley, with additional support from executive editor Susan Howson and head of video Garth Bardsley. Our theme music is by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Suguira. This episode was recorded at G/O Media headquarters in New York.

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