Off-premises dining has become a vital revenue stream for restaurants, with three out of every four orders now taken to go, according to research from the National Restaurant Association. Millennials and Gen Z are driving this trend, with two-thirds of these groups considering takeout essential. In addition, 94% of diners say speed is critical, and 9 out of 10 diners say customer service is a top priority.
In response, restaurants are increasing takeout, drive-thru and curbside options, with 65% of limited-service restaurants offering delivery, and many adding zones for curbside and pickup orders. As a result, front-of-house footprints are getting smaller, while pressure to maintain or increase productivity grows.
“The QSR of the future is smaller, smarter and infinitely more flexible,” says Dan Pazych at Franke Foodservice Systems.
The recipe for QSR kitchen success
The drive to deliver on the growth of takeout orders has led to brands prioritizing ergonomic and highly efficient work zones to maximize every inch of space, says Pazych.
“With dine-in traffic declining and digital channels rising, brands are moving toward compact building footprints using modular kitchen designs,” Pazych says. “These layouts can scale up or down based on volume, making it easier for operators to grow, adapt and stay profitable in various competitive environments.”
Intelligent speed breeds faster, calmer service
Speed for the sake of speed, however, can be inefficient – and costly. That’s why intelligent speed in QSR kitchens means fulfilling the demand for rapid service without chaos, Pazych explains.
“Intelligent speed is about removing chaos,” Pazych says. “Franke designs kitchens that eliminate unnecessary motion, streamline every step and place equipment exactly where it supports the fastest path to service. The result is a calmer, more controlled environment where speed comes naturally and consistently, even during peak periods.”
Kitchens are also introducing “express lanes” and heated landing stations to ensure order accuracy and food quality for off-premises channels – adaptations that allow traditional dine-in and drive-thru operations to stay efficient while seamlessly handling the surge in mobile and delivery demand.
“Mobile ordering accelerates the pace at the end of the line, where timing and order accuracy matter most,” Pazych says.
Heated landing stations give teams breathing room by holding completed orders at the perfect temperature until pickup, and air holding technology protects the crispness, temperature and overall quality of fried items far longer than traditional methods, Pazych explains.
“Franke’s holding system maintains precise heat distribution, ensuring customers receive food that tastes freshly cooked even during rushes,” he says. “It helps reduce waste and increase menu consistency across dayparts.”
A holistic approach
For brands struggling to accommodate a high volume of mobile orders within an existing kitchen layout, the first step is a holistic assessment, Pazych suggests.
“Most often, the quickest win is carving out space for a streamlined, shorter-footprint production line dedicated to mobile and delivery orders,” he says, which prevents digital orders from overwhelming the main line and instantly boosts throughput and order accuracy.
“Operators tell us their biggest pain point is squeezing the same or more productivity into a shrinking footprint. They need smarter storage and workspace solutions that fit and flow. Our focus is on creating ergonomic, highly efficient work zones that help teams move faster, stay organized, even when every square inch matters.”
Related stories:
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- Q&A: Resilience, customer experience and the new value proposition in the restaurant industry
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