Comeback for carhops?

[Dien Rice]

I just saw this news...

Sonic Drive-In restaurants increased sales by $1 billion in 2020! (Growing by 21%...)

For those who don't know, Sonic is the largest still-existing chain of carhop restaurants, with over 3,500 restaurants in the USA...

Carhops are those people you see, mostly in older movies like American Graffiti (1973)... where the waiter or waitress brings the food to your car... Sometimes wearing roller skates...

It's mostly an American phenomenon...

Of course, in the Covid era, it feels much safer to eat in your car than in the restaurant...

From my quick research, it looks like Sonic has kept growing with even more new restaurants in 2021...



This is how Sonic increased sales by $1 billion during the pandemic, according to the drive-in chain’s president
https://www.businessinsider.com/soni...in-2020-2021-6

Best wishes!

Dien

[GordonJ]

We have Swenson's, about a mile down the road.

http://swensonsdriveins.com/

Not thousands of them, but a dozen or so. And all busy as can be.

They RUN to your car, and RUN back to get your order in. I guess that might be their gimmick, but also, good food.

Gordon

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

I just saw this news...

Sonic Drive-In restaurants increased sales by $1 billion in 2020! (Growing by 21%...)

For those who don't know, Sonic is the largest still-existing chain of carhop restaurants, with over 3,500 restaurants in the USA...

Carhops are those people you see, mostly in older movies like American Graffiti (1973)... where the waiter or waitress brings the food to your car... Sometimes wearing roller skates...

It's mostly an American phenomenon...

Of course, in the Covid era, it feels much safer to eat in your car than in the restaurant...

From my quick research, it looks like Sonic has kept growing with even more new restaurants in 2021...



This is how Sonic increased sales by $1 billion during the pandemic, according to the drive-in chain’s president
https://www.businessinsider.com/soni...in-2020-2021-6

Best wishes!

Dien

[Dien Rice]

Hi Gordon,

I've searched and searched... and we don't seem to have any carhop-style restaurants in Australia!

The closest we have in Australia to a "car hop" is a kangaroo with a driver's license...



Which is not quite the same...

I wish we did!

I'll just have to make do with the drive-through...

Best wishes!

Dien

Originally Posted by GordonJ

We have Swenson's, about a mile down the road.

http://swensonsdriveins.com/

Not thousands of them, but a dozen or so. And all busy as can be.

They RUN to your car, and RUN back to get your order in. I guess that might be their gimmick, but also, good food.

Gordon