There are rumblings of a possible resurgence of carhop services coming to restaurants nationwide. Technomic, the company that tracks consumer and menu trends within the foodservice industry, discovered that in the fourth quarter of 2022, 8% of food orders from fine-dining establishments were eaten in a car. In addition, there is a new acceptance of in-car dining thanks to the lengthy wait times required at EV charging stations, many of which continue to pop up in restaurant parking spaces. It is conceivable that as more Americans purchase electric vehicles, more restaurants will consider opening their own version of the carhop experience, perhaps even providing additional entertainment in the form of quick movie reels at the ordering site. The idea of the carhop service attracts many who are caught up in nostalgia for the 1950s, a decade currently trending in fashion and pop culture thanks to recent movies such as “Elvis” and “Don’t Worry Darling.”
The carhop server trend experienced an uptick in popularity during the lockdown era when numerous restaurants scrambled to come up with creative methods to serve food to customers in unique, socially distancing ways. Although many of these carhop services have since waned, some restaurants continue to adhere to the dine-in-car concept. In addition to numerous mom-and-pop restaurants sprinkled throughout the country that offer carhop services, A&W Restaurants has 60 sites that provide this experience. Swenson’s Drive-In Restaurants, an Ohio chain that features carhops, opened its first location in a new state in Avon, Ind., in February.
The most prolific drive-in restaurant brand is Sonic, which is currently expanding into untapped markets throughout the country, especially in the Midwest and California. Iowa is expected to get at least 10 new units this year, beginning with Iowa City, Davenport, Coralville and Des Moines. Plus, Oskaloosa, Ames and Ottumwa are all being eyed. Look for Owensboro, Ky., and the suburbs of Indiana, including Danville and Dyer, to also get new units this year. Untapped areas in California, especially the central coastal region and the eastern counties of Los Angeles, including Riverside and San Bernardino, are also anticipating new units by late 2023/early 2024. In addition, Hawaii got its first Sonic in February in Kahului, Maui.
Sonic prefers sites on lots up to 45,000 s.f., in order to accommodate a building between 1,200 and 1,800 s.f., as well as up to 24 drive-in stalls, patio seating and a drive thru. Sonic restaurants have been located on lots in heavily populated suburban metros, as well as outlying suburban communities, generally on busy retail-heavy streets filled with traffic from nearby offices, multifamily housing, colleges or schools. Corner sites of strip malls or power centers are also ideal. Popular co-tenants include gas stations and automobile servicing stores, such as Valvoline or AutoZone, or non-competing food tenants, such as Taco Bell. Sonic’s drive-in frequently features carhops that wear roller skates to deliver ordered items directly to the customer’s car window.
