What's happening at the point of service
Research, results and coverage from the drive-thru.
Insight
uKnomi's own articles, on what happens at the point of service.
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Finding the Balance: Speed vs. Customization in the Drive-Thru
In quick-service restaurants, the drive-thru is a constant balancing act between speed and customization.
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The Reset Effect: Why Restaurants Keep Relearning the Same Lessons
Every time someone leaves, your restaurant starts over. Here's how QSR teams can retain knowledge and break the reset cycle.
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From Data to Diagnosis: Why Service Slows
When service slows, the real question is why. Learn how understanding the root causes behind delays leads to smarter, faster QSR operations.
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The Drink Flip Is Here - The Season of Share-Worthy Sips
Cold beverage season is a revenue unlock. See how QSRs can drive margin, frequency, and demand with shareable, high-impact drinks.
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How QSRs Can Win Spring Break Traffic
Spring break doesn't just change where people go, it changes how they eat.
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The Power of Rewards in QSR
In the fast-paced world of quick service restaurants, every second at the drive-thru counts - and within those moments lies a powerful opportunity.
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When Training Season Meets Rush Season
With some of our busiest seasons ahead, staffing is in full swing - and business as usual doesn't pause for training.
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The Real Value of an LTO Isn't Sales — It's What You Learn
Most brands judge a limited-time offer by one metric: did it lift sales? But the real ROI of an LTO isn't the short-term revenue bump. It's the insight.
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The Future of Drive Thru Hospitality is Personal - and It Starts with Recognition
Most of us know what it feels like to be a regular - but what if you could have that same personalized experience at scale, even in a fast-paced drive-thru?
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Upsell Efficiency Is All About the Ask
Upsells fail far more often because of how they're presented than what is being offered - and the fix is usually language, not price.
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From Menu Mix to Throughput: How Weather Impacts the Entire Service System
Weather quietly reshapes what guests order, how far they'll travel and which channel they choose - making it one of the most powerful menu engineers QSR brands don't employ.
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Why Reviews Are Disappearing — And How Timing Brings Them Back
Reviews feel sparse not because customers stopped caring, but because nothing anchors the moment - and well-timed prompts change that.
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The Hidden Cost of Not Knowing Your Customers: Why QSR Leaders Can't Afford Guesswork Anymore
QSRs rarely lose customers suddenly - they lose them slowly and silently, and by the time sales show a downturn the guests behind the shift may already be gone.
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From Science Fiction to Standard Practice: AI's Leap Into the Everyday Business Toolkit
Somewhere between rapid technological breakthroughs and the everyday tools now at our fingertips, AI stopped being a dream and became standard practice.
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How AI Digital Assistants Are Rewriting QSR Performance
A new era of Digital Assistants with access to Vision and Conversation AI is reshaping how QSRs operate.
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Digital Engagement: Beyond the Code
uKnomi's Digital Engagement connects drive-thru moments to mobile action—guests scan, add, and pay instantly for a faster, personalized experience.
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Guest Interactions: When Service Becomes Connection
Create seamless, personalized moments with uKnomi's Guest Interactions—connecting every touchpoint to loyalty and delight.
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Intelligent Selling: Where Relevance Replaces Routine
uKnomi's Intelligent Selling delivers real-time, data-driven offers that boost check size and guest satisfaction at every visit.
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Flow Management: Turning Chaos Into Calm
Optimize drive-thru speed with uKnomi's Flow Management—real-time insights that keep lines moving and guests satisfied.
Coverage
Press and industry publications.
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CMO Council Maps Ways to Speed and Personalize Service to the 50 Million Americans Who Visit Drive-Thru Restaurants Daily
The CMO Council teams with uKnomi, restaurant marketers and industry experts on how AI-driven technology can improve the guest experience across 200,000 drive-thru lanes.
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Do Fast-Food Brands Need to Flip the Script?
On personalisation and the limits of the scripted drive-thru interaction.
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Real-Time AI Interaction at the Point of Transaction
Johann van der Westhuizen on recognising and serving guests in the moment, in conversation with the CMO Council.
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Report Reveals How QSRs Can Create Marketing in the Moment With AI
Coverage of the CMO Council report on marketing in the moment of service.
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MRM Research Roundup: Mid-Year 2024
Industry research roundup including the CMO Council drive-thru findings.
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Is it time for a tech renaissance in drive-thrus?
An exclusive on where the next gain in drive-thru performance comes from.
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Digital Innovation is Transforming the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Experience
How digital and AI are reshaping loyalty and service in quick service restaurants.
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CMO Council Maps Ways to Speed More Personalized Service to Drive-Thru Guests
Syndicated coverage of the CMO Council and uKnomi initiative.
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