Don’t Let the Permit Process for Digital Menu Boards Stand in Your Way

From McDonald’s acquisition of Dynamic Yield for better menu board technology to Chipotle’s implementation of ‘Chipotlanes,’ fast-casual and quick-service restaurant brands across the U.S. are shifting their focus to improving drive-thru experiences. Digital menus for restaurants have become an integral part of the customer experience as drive-thru use has skyrocketed during pandemic culture, as proven by the most recent QSR Drive-Thru Study.

Using a nationally representative respondent group of 1,007 drive-thru customers, the study cites the following statistics regarding drive-thrus and digital menu boards:

  • 67% of people think that their ordering habits will be changed permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 57% of people agree that they would order fast-casual food more frequently if more of them had drive-thrus
  • 46% of people wish there was more signage to help them make their menu decision
  • 20% are calling for more extensive digital signage
  • 45% of respondents are very likely to use fast-casual drive-thrus moving forward and 50% are very likely to use quick-serve drive-thrus

Update Your Fast Food Digital Menu Boards Faster

It’s clear that having an updated drive-thru with sophisticated digital menu boards is essential to compete in today’s fast-casual market. But where should you start?

Permitting is an integral part of your planning process. How you tackle permitting for a large-scale digital menu board upgrade can make or break your project timeline. Luckily, Scout Services has extensive experience nationwide permitting for digital menu board upgrades.

One problem with a large-scale project rollout is that every municipality has different requirements and processes. Permit expediters like Scout Services complete due diligence upfront to confirm requirements, timelines, and fees to prepare, plan ahead, and prevent costly mistakes.

Any issues that do arise or mistakes in your submittals may also be difficult to resolve without the proper contacts. Scout Services has relationships with zoning and building departments across the U.S. to help streamline the process and get permits approved faster.

We connect you directly to one of our permitting experts upfront, so you always know who to call about your permits. Our tracking system gives real-time permit statuses. Having one, centralized point person keeping track of all permitting needs and being updated consistently on permit statuses frees up valuable time so you can focus on other essential elements of the project rollout.