Drive Thru's (27 Viewers)

Otis

Well-Known Member
Well there you go, it is lazy for you. You prefer to go inside places and interact, therefore if you have to the choice to and don't ->Lazy. Not everyone enjoys the experience as much as you do so therefore not lazy.

If I ate Mcdonalds the reason I would prefer to drive thru is so I can eat in the comfort of my own home with friends/family where I feel more comfortable. I'm not as comfortable as you are in social situations and given the choice I'd rather not eat in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers with awkward conversations.


Which is absolutely fine of course.

I did say all along that maybe it is me. I just wanted to know if anyone else fel the same way.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
I would imagine in most cases the drive thru takes longer than going in to be served.

Funny how people are getting snobbish about it - it's a successful franchise. Sets customer expectation at a low level as well. I don't go much as I'm not a huge Burger fan (but we eat plenty of trash like Pizza Hut which has as much resemblance to a pizza as a McDonald's burger does to fillet steak) but I did go once and remember being actually pleased the burger was hot.

Franchise? So you agree with them now? :thinking about:
 

Macca

Well-Known Member
In terms my local one, it is quicker by a long way than the 3 hrs it takes to get served inside. Also means I don't have to sit amongst scores of ill behaved kids and people talking in some kind of unintelligible faux ghetto speak.
If that answers the question :-D
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
We do a lot of travelling. We eat at all types of places. At McDonalds the small kids have a happy meal. I have wraps. It is better than taking your own food.

I don't like the KFC intercom. I can never end up understanding what they are saying so we always go in. On a journey it is down to one thing. Do the kids need the toilet? If they do we go in to everything. But it costs more time because of getting kids out, walking slower with them then getting them back in the car.

We enjoy going out for meals. But we go elsewhere than fast food. Last night we traveled 1hr each way to a place where I like the food. I had a 1.5kg steak. The building needs updating, but if you like your food.....and big portions......and at the lakes.......it is a good place to go for good food.

Fast food=convenience. It takes about the same time to get going in or drive through.
Take away if no time to cook.
Pub/restaurant for a meal out.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Is McDonald's so popular simply for the fact it is cheap? Is it as simple as that? Does anyone actually like McDonald's food?

You go in West Orchards' food court and there, there is a fish and chip place and a Subway and a KFC and an Indian and an Italan and more too, but McDonald's always has the biggest queue by far.

Have they saturated the market so much that it is simply easier to use them and they are because they're there right in front of your face everywhere you go?
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Think there are 7 MCDonald's in Coventry.

Am guessing that Subway has the most outlets. I know of 4 in the centre centre alone.
 

Macca

Well-Known Member
McDonald's is a quick fix when I am starving. It tastes good but it's shit and usually hungry again within 2 hours
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
McDonald's is a quick fix when I am starving. It tastes good but it's shit and usually hungry again within 2 hours

I knew you'd like them, especially with a name like Macca.

All my family say their stuff tastes like cardboard.
 

olderskyblue

Well-Known Member
I've taken my kids to Maccy D's many times over the years, and used restaurant and drive thru. Personally, I cant stand the food there, but my daughter enjoys it. She also enjoys going inside to eat, whereas I prefer to eat in the car. Now we take my grandaughter, but eat inside as she hasn't mastered the art of not spilling things yet... I don't find it a pleasant experience in there other than being with my grandaughter. It's usually like an assault course, with the kids as obstacles to negotiate around... :D
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I've taken my kids to Maccy D's many times over the years, and used restaurant and drive thru. Personally, I cant stand the food there, but my daughter enjoys it. She also enjoys going inside to eat, whereas I prefer to eat in the car. Now we take my grandaughter, but eat inside as she hasn't mastered the art of not spilling things yet... I don't find it a pleasant experience in there other than being with my grandaughter. It's usually like an assault course, with the kids as obstacles to negotiate around... :D



Yeah. I only enjoy the experience because my daughter enjoys the experience. If she's having a nice time then usually it means that I am too.

Another thing I have noticed is the difference between being served in McDonald's and being served at Burger King. Not talking about queues, but the time spent serving someone at the counter. Burger King seems to take infinitesimally longer to get served. No idea why that is.
 

Johnnythespider

Well-Known Member
I suppose you could always get out of your car and "Walk Thru". Personally I tend to go in and order to take out, as when using the drive thru you sit in your car wondering what to have, and by the time you reach the menu someone is already asking you for your order, so I just end up having a big Mac meal all the time.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Or just burgers and fries.


(Thought I'd get in before anyone else does with the quip)
 
D

Deleted member 5849

Guest
Just wondering .... do they serve bikes?

I used to have a car where all the electrics fused, so the windows wouldn't open. That at least stopped me going through drive-throughs, you'll be pleased to hear ;)
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Don't have any problem with normal people going through drive thru's NW. It's just the abnormal ones.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Think there are 7 MCDonald's in Coventry.

Am guessing that Subway has the most outlets. I know of 4 in the centre centre alone.

I think although its slightly different Greggs will have more than 7. It is their cheap sandwiches and hot food that has led to their escalation. They do have sit down areas now as well.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Is McDonald's so popular simply for the fact it is cheap? Is it as simple as that? Does anyone actually like McDonald's food?

You go in West Orchards' food court and there, there is a fish and chip place and a Subway and a KFC and an Indian and an Italan and more too, but McDonald's always has the biggest queue by far.

Have they saturated the market so much that it is simply easier to use them and they are because they're there right in front of your face everywhere you go?

It's marketing - capturing children early (the happy meal), convenience and brand strength. I would assume its market share is easily the best as it is the market leader.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I think although its slightly different Greggs will have more than 7. It is their cheap sandwiches and hot food that has led to their escalation. They do have sit down areas now as well.
Yeah, forgot about Gregg's. Does anyone actually like Gregg's though. I haven't bought pasties from there and they were truly horrible.

Opposite West Orchards there used to be Gregg's and then a couple of doors down, Baker's Oven. The latter's pasties were about 20p more but were at least 10 times as good.

Is it again popularity just down to the cheapness?
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
Even Nuneaton town centre had 3 Greggs until a few weeks ago, their stuff is ok but it drives me mad whenever I pop in for a steak bake at the motorway services they never have any available.

It's down to marketing and brand awareness.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Yeah, forgot about Gregg's. Does anyone actually like Gregg's though. I haven't bought pasties from there and they were truly horrible.

Opposite West Orchards there used to be Gregg's and then a couple of doors down, Baker's Oven. The latter's pasties were about 20p more but were at least 10 times as good.

Is it again popularity just down to the cheapness?

You say cheapness - they would say they offer the consumer value for money. There is a variety of choice available and its easy and convenient to purchase. It is notable that in some towns they have significantly upgraded their CI - there is one in Leamington in a Retail Outlet that has a totally different CI to those in Coventry. Shows there are adaptive to the environment as well.

I have tried the hot food and it is extremely average (hot is misleading) but it offers lunches and snacks quickly and easily. It has improved its sandwich offering and some of these are actually competitive with the likes of M and S.
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
I do like a greasy greggs sausage roll. I also like when they do a 'special' pasty like chilli beef pasty.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors :)
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
You say cheapness - they would say they offer the consumer value for money. There is a variety of choice available and its easy and convenient to purchase. It is notable that in some towns they have significantly upgraded their CI - there is one in Leamington in a Retail Outlet that has a totally different CI to those in Coventry. Shows there are adaptive to the environment as well.

I have tried the hot food and it is extremely average (hot is misleading) but it offers lunches and snacks quickly and easily. It has improved its sandwich offering and some of these are actually competitive with the likes of M and S.
Maybe just me then, but everything I have ever eaten from Gregg's has been horrible.

I do say cheap, because the likes of the St Ives Pasty place in Broadgate is more than twice the price. Still not brilliant, but 10 times better than anything I have ever had in Gregg's.

Just don't understand the popularity. Same with McDonald's too.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Maybe just me then, but everything I have ever eaten from Gregg's has been horrible.

I do say cheap, because the likes of the St Ives Pasty place in Broadgate is more than twice the price. Still not brilliant, but 10 times better than anything I have ever had in Gregg's.

Just don't understand the popularity. Same with McDonald's too.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) you seem a marketing persons worst nightmare.

Brand association is critical. These places offer you a universal experience. So the food is consistent. The consumer knows what to expect and gets the experience that they want. You go to a premium restaurant and you expect far more. The expectation is set lower and acceptance of less quality is fine.

It's like the discussion we had about John Lewis. This is a premium shopping outlet and all towns that have them attract other stores looking to get fall out from the huge volume of traffic. The other week I was in Nottingham and I could not believe the volume of shoppers in the City Centre. You literally could not move and at the heart of it was John Lewis, By contrast Coventry the other Sunday was deserted. I could 100% guarantee if Coventry has John Lewis over Primark most of the deserted boarded up stores would be taken up by retailers wanting to piggy back of the brand experience that is associated with such a place. It upgrades a city overnight - Primark does exactly the opposite.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
You do also have to bear in mind that I am vegetarian, so probably not having the same food choices as most people on here.

Been to Gregg's twice and had a vegetable pasty and they were disgusting.

Last one I threw in the bin. Thought first time it was maybe a mistake in the bake or something.

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
You do also have to bear in mind that I am vegetarian, so probably not having the same food choices as most people on here.

Been to Gregg's twice and had a vegetable pasty and they were disgusting.

Last one I threw in the bin. Thought first time it was maybe a mistake in the bake or something.

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

No the cheese and onion ones are disgusting and the Pizza is a frisbee. Its quick and convenient and filling and its what the customer expects.

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...up-Greggs-cooks-whopping-41-jump-profits.html
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Yep, I've had a Frisbee Pizza thing too there a few years back.

Oh and I had another meal in the White Lion recently and once again it was of a very good standard
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
In Allesley?

Cheers for that, Grendel.

Yes. I very rarely bother to go out but have now been three times in 6 weeks. They do an excellent vegetable pizza. Good atmosphere and reasonable price.
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
I've never understood how anyone could McDonalds, KFC and Burger King etc. The quality of food that people eat in the UK is very worrying.
 
D

Deleted member 5849

Guest
I've never understood how anyone could McDonalds, KFC and Burger King etc. The quality of food that people eat in the UK is very worrying.

I actually like KFC!

Never seen Masinga there mind you.

Was also slighly concerned to be told they'd run out of chicken one time I went, as well. Not sure why they had to let me go through half the menu before telling me that.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I actually like KFC!

Never seen Masinga there mind you.

Was also slighly concerned to be told they'd run out of chicken one time I went, as well. Not sure why they had to let me go through half the menu before telling me that.
My daughter loves KFC. Her favourite though is Subway.

Think she likes the tailor made aspect of it all.

I do think the old adage you get what you pay for does still stand at times mind.

KFC isn't that cheap though really is it in the scheme of things?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top