Just as the drive-thru accommodated generations shaped by mass-market car culture, the new digital efforts cater to a new cohort of fast-food customers shaped by e-commerce, social media, smartphones, streaming video and, in one way or another, a lack of time.
Restaurants’ trial runs and partnerships with delivery services could give chains a head start in capturing today’s tech-savvy diners. Cowen & Co. estimated last year that U.S. restaurant delivery alone could become a $35 billion market by 2025.
“We’re currently very optimistic that we’re tapping into a new customer base and serving them in a new way,” Bill Garrett, corporate vice president of delivery at McDonald’s, said in an interview. “It’s a customer that otherwise would likely have not gone out to eat.”
