As more customers begin to order food through online channels, a new KFC pilot project in Newcastle, Australia looks to create a more efficient operating model to keep up with this change in consumer behavior.
Designed by FRCH NELSON with KFC SOPAC, the drive-thru only KFC features five lanes, two set up for traditional on-the-spot drive-thru orders, and three that allow customers to order and pay for a meal through the brand’s app or website. For online orders, customers drive up to one of the designated lanes and enter a four-digit code generated by the app on a touchscreen. Once the code is entered, the online order is sent to the kitchen where it is freshly prepared.
The goal of the design was to create a holistic drive-thru experience that leverages architecture, communication, service, and landscape. Without having the benefit of a public-facing interior, FRCH NELSON had to find other opportunities to display and celebrate the KFC brand on the building’s exterior, which leverages natural materials in conjunction with steel and glazing.
See Also: ‘The Whale’ will be an arctic attraction 185 miles north of the Arctic Circle
A large halo-lit Colonel Sanders layered atop the building’s wood-clad walls greets guests and the drive thru portal uses bold architecture to create a beacon for the experience. “With traditional restaurants, the building is the experience, but with this new concept it became a fixture – one element supporting the overall experience,” said Marty McCauley, Design Director at FRCH NELSON, in a release. “We had to utilize every exterior touchpoint from the landscaping, to the signage, to the architecture of the drive-thru portal, to create a holistic experience for guests.”
Related Stories
Hotel Facilities | Sep 26, 2016
$75 million commercial tower and hotel proposed in downtown Atlanta
The tower would be built on a site currently occupied by a Hertz Car Rental and parking lot.
| Aug 11, 2016
RETAIL GIANTS: Retailers and developers mix it up to stay relevant with shoppers
Retail is becoming closely aligned with entertainment, and malls that can be repositioned as lifestyle centers will have enhanced value.
| Aug 10, 2016
Top 50 Retail Engineering Firms
Jacobs, Henderson Engineers, and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest retail sector engineering and E/A firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 10, 2016
Top 80 Retail Construction Firms
VCC, PCL Construction Enterprises, and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest retail sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 10, 2016
Top 90 Retail Architecture Firms
Gensler, GreenbergFarrow, and MG2 top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest retail sector architecture and A/E firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Modular Building | Jul 22, 2016
PNC Bank’s 'Tiny Branch' opens on West Virginia University campus
The new branch doesn’t need much space for its ATM and new accounts and personal loans services.
Retail Centers | Jul 21, 2016
MVRDV designs Seoul entertainment district with gold entrance and curtain façade
The 9,800-sm complex will have retail and nightclub space. A plaza separates the two concrete buildings.
Retail Centers | Jul 14, 2016
Capital One adds coffee shops to bank locations
Several cities opened or are planning Capital One Cafes where customers can buy a latte and make a checking deposit.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 19, 2016
Rapid growth of retail health clinics presents new choices for consumers, payers, and providers
Service expansions help dealers boost clinics’ profitability.
Retail Centers | Jun 14, 2016
Zaha Hadid and Gensler among finalists for Sunset Strip billboard design competition
The concepts are curvy, sleek, and multidimensional, and feature sharp digital displays.