Operations

Schlotzsky's debuts double drive-thru prototype

Schlotzsky's announces the opening of the first Design 1000 prototype location in Oklahoma City. Provided

May 16, 2022

Schlotzsky's has opened its first Design 1000 restaurant in Oklahoma City. Introduced in Q4 2020 alongside the single drive-thru Design 1800, the Design 1000 features two drive-thrus, one on each side of the restaurant. The window on the driver side is for traditional drive-thru ordering, and the passenger side window is exclusively for first-party and third-party delivery pickups, said Shelley Harris, Interim chief brand officer.

"Over the past couple of years, we've been allocating resources and shifting focus to develop prototypes that offer increased convenience and ease of use for our guests," she said in a company press release. "Design 1000 places an emphasis on off-premise ordering and takes these efforts up a notch. We know there is consumer demand for greater accessibility to their favorite Schlotzsky's menu items, so this format, which is entirely focused on off-premise access, gives consumers what they are looking for and provides franchisees with a more compact restaurant design to consider for development."

Both the Design 1000 and Design 1800 support the off-premise trend by providing operational efficiencies to enhance the speed of service and accuracy, while also giving franchisees the flexibility to develop with competitive real estate. Now, with both new designs in operation, Schlotzsky's plans to gather data from these restaurants to continue to refine the prototypes for operators interested in growing with the brand, Harris said.

Schlotzsky's signed 124 franchise agreements in 2021, and the chain has 323 restaurants in 24 states.