With more consumers turning to convenient takeout options during the COVID-19 pandemic, El Pollo Loco is joining other restaurants like McDonald's in redesigning its restaurants for the future by focusing primarily on off-premise dining.
El Pollo Loco has already shared a concept sketch of what one of the future-facing designs might look like, which features an outdoor pickup window for takeout and delivery orders, designated parking spaces for curbside pickup, and updated branding that gives the chain a more modern feel. The other design created by El Pollo Loco focuses more on the drive thru experience, however also features curbside pickup parking spots, and a flexible dining space that can be opened up to the outdoors.
Image Credit: El Pollo Loco
What's Driving This Trend
- Off-premise Dining
- Restaurants are redesigning their establishments to prioritize off-premise dining options, presenting new opportunities for efficient and innovative delivery service models.
- Curbside Pickup
- The rise of curbside pickup as a safer, more convenient alternative to traditional dine-in dining is creating opportunities for restaurants to improve their pick-up process through efficient technology and streamlined delivery service.
- Flexible Dining Space
- Flexible dining spaces designed for the drive-thru and takeout experience have become key for restaurants, with an opportunity for designing innovative and eye-catching outdoor spaces that can double as marketing tools.
Who This Affects Most
- Restaurant
- COVID-19 has created an imperative for restaurants to update their establishments for takeout and delivery services while finding innovative design solutions to entice customers to return to dine-in.
- Delivery Service
- Restaurants will continue to need efficient delivery service models in order to compete with the variety and convenience provided by third-party delivery platforms.
- Branding
- As restaurants redesign their spaces for off-premise dining, there is an opportunity for branding that emphasizes technology, efficiency, and customer safety in order to create a distinctive visual identity that elevates the brand and attracts loyal customers.
