San Antonio now home to sole drive-thru only Burger King in Texas

[ZLoth]

From MySA:

San Antonio now home to sole drive-thru only Burger King in Texas
Here's where to find it.

A new Burger King that just opened on the Southside has a unique distinction — it's the sole, drive-thru only Burger King in Texas.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[epzik8]

There is at least one of these in Maryland (Waldorf area, south of DC) that I've gone through before.

[Max Rockatansky]

There has been one of these in Firebaugh for years.  Makes all the sense in the world to me.  Even before COVID hardly anyone sat down and ate inside at BK.

[LilianaUwU]

Unless I manage to convince my bus driver to go to the drive through, this is not an option for me. It's why I get the "metropolitan" bus pass for both Québec and Lévis: so I can get to a Burger King location where I can actually get in and order without a car. Because yes, Québec City only has one Burger King location, and it's drive-thru only.

[Max Rockatansky]

Don't these locations usually have an exterior walk up counter?  The one in Firebaugh does.

[SectorZ]

Unless I manage to convince my bus driver to go to the drive through, this is not an option for me. It's why I get the "metropolitan" bus pass for both Québec and Lévis: so I can get to a Burger King location where I can actually get in and order without a car. Because yes, Québec City only has one Burger King location, and it's drive-thru only.

That sounds like an awful lot of trouble and energy just to eat at Burger King.

[mgk920]

Think of the labor expense saving to the owner, too.

Mike

[roadman65]

Getting like Checkers.

[SectorZ]

I'm curious how many fast-food chains (the major, national ones at least) have any locations that are the opposite, no drive-thru.

Westford MA has a bylaw (https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford/westford-votes-against-allowing-drive-thru-restaurants-again) against drive-thrus. There used to be Wendy's, BK, and McDonald's, but by 2010 or so only the latter remained, and had to stay shuttered for 3 months during Covid due to it.

[ClassicHasClass]

There's a DT/walkup only BK in Fairfield, CA near the air base. Eaten there a few times. Quick service.

[vdeane]

Westford MA has a bylaw (https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford/westford-votes-against-allowing-drive-thru-restaurants-again) against drive-thrus. There used to be Wendy's, BK, and McDonald's, but by 2010 or so only the latter remained, and had to stay shuttered for 3 months during Covid due to it.

MA didn't allow take-out during that time period?

[SectorZ]

Westford MA has a bylaw (https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford/westford-votes-against-allowing-drive-thru-restaurants-again) against drive-thrus. There used to be Wendy's, BK, and McDonald's, but by 2010 or so only the latter remained, and had to stay shuttered for 3 months during Covid due to it.

MA didn't allow take-out during that time period?

McDonald's only allowed locations to do drive-thru only (owned and franchised), no lobby open at all, so in that specific case they were fully shutdown until they allowed lobbies to reopen.

[LilianaUwU]

Unless I manage to convince my bus driver to go to the drive through, this is not an option for me. It's why I get the "metropolitan" bus pass for both Québec and Lévis: so I can get to a Burger King location where I can actually get in and order without a car. Because yes, Québec City only has one Burger King location, and it's drive-thru only.

That sounds like an awful lot of trouble and energy just to eat at Burger King.

I'd rather go through hoops to dine with a King than walk down the road and eat with a clown.

[ZLoth]

Unless I manage to convince my bus driver to go to the drive through, this is not an option for me. It's why I get the "metropolitan" bus pass for both Québec and Lévis: so I can get to a Burger King location where I can actually get in and order without a car. Because yes, Québec City only has one Burger King location, and it's drive-thru only.

That sounds like an awful lot of trouble and energy just to eat at Burger King.

I'd rather go through hoops to dine with a King than walk down the road and eat with a clown.

The nearest Burger King and McDonalds to me are right next to each other, but I prefer the King. Having said that, there are other burger places near to me including a Sonic, Wendys, SmashBurger, and Liberty Burger. Aren't there other burger places near where you live and work?

[SectorZ]

Unless I manage to convince my bus driver to go to the drive through, this is not an option for me. It's why I get the "metropolitan" bus pass for both Québec and Lévis: so I can get to a Burger King location where I can actually get in and order without a car. Because yes, Québec City only has one Burger King location, and it's drive-thru only.

That sounds like an awful lot of trouble and energy just to eat at Burger King.

I'd rather go through hoops to dine with a King than walk down the road and eat with a clown.

I've only been to your city once (and loved it by the way) so I don't recall, but don't you guys have something better than lowest common denominator chains that are Canadian or something? I hate that my town has the three pathetic chains (the two discussed plus Wendy's) and kind of nothing else, but at least it forces me to get a sub somewhere at a mom and pop place and pay marginally more than the McDonald's would charge me anyways.

[Scott5114]

Think of the labor expense saving to the owner, too.

Why should we? It's not like they think about saving us expenses.

[LilianaUwU]

I've only been to your city once (and loved it by the way) so I don't recall, but don't you guys have something better than lowest common denominator chains that are Canadian or something? I hate that my town has the three pathetic chains (the two discussed plus Wendy's) and kind of nothing else, but at least it forces me to get a sub somewhere at a mom and pop place and pay marginally more than the McDonald's would charge me anyways.

The nearest Burger King and McDonalds to me are right next to each other, but I prefer the King. Having said that, there are other burger places near to me including a Sonic, Wendys, SmashBurger, and Liberty Burger. Aren't there other burger places near where you live and work?

There's A&W and tons of other options, and I go to those much more often than I ever do Burger King. The place I go the most often these days is a mom and pop restaurant with a deal on two jumbo pizza slices and a drink for $10. Sometimes, though, I really crave a Whopper.

[Max Rockatansky]

Think of the labor expense saving to the owner, too.

Why should we? It's not like they think about saving us expenses.

I'd imagine stuff like this might be the new model for a lot of fast food chains out here (California).  The wage hikes for large franchises will probably see this proliferate.

[vdeane]

McDonald's only allowed locations to do drive-thru only (owned and franchised), no lobby open at all, so in that specific case they were fully shutdown until they allowed lobbies to reopen.

Well, that's stupid.  It's also a major reason why I haven't been to a McDonald's even once post-pandemic, even though they used to be a semi-regular lunch option pre-pandemic.  Even now that the lobbies are open again, they emphasize drive-thru so much, they're not really a great option for those of us who prefer to eat our food at a table and not in a car (and to not have to wait an hour while all the drive-thru orders are fulfilled).

Heck, my local sub place (DiBella's) doesn't even have drive-thru, and their increased emphasis on phone/online orders since the pandemic is a major reason why I'm considering going there less often from now on.  Used to be you'd order and they would make the sub right in front of you and hand it to you when done before you paid.  Now, you take a number, they write your order on a piece of paper, and they might get around to it after all the phone/online orders are fulfilled (and paying is on the honor system, as there's no way to verify that what you told the cashier you're getting is what you're actually getting).  It feels like the wait time has doubled.

[jeffandnicole]

I'm curious how many fast-food chains (the major, national ones at least) have any locations that are the opposite, no drive-thru.

In center city or downtown city locations, in airports, large train stations and mall food courts. Even Trenton's Transit Center had a McDonalds with no drive-thru, which shut down around 2022.

[LilianaUwU]

I'm curious how many fast-food chains (the major, national ones at least) have any locations that are the opposite, no drive-thru.

Québec City has a McDonald's in the old town that has no drive thru.

[SectorZ]

I'm curious how many fast-food chains (the major, national ones at least) have any locations that are the opposite, no drive-thru.

Québec City has a McDonald's in the old town that has no drive thru.

That makes sense. I can think of multiple of the big ones in downtown Boston that don't and in some cases couldn't since they literally have a store front and that's it.

[mgk920]

Westford MA has a bylaw (https://patch.com/massachusetts/westford/westford-votes-against-allowing-drive-thru-restaurants-again) against drive-thrus. There used to be Wendy's, BK, and McDonald's, but by 2010 or so only the latter remained, and had to stay shuttered for 3 months during Covid due to it.

MA didn't allow take-out during that time period?

McDonald's only allowed locations to do drive-thru only (owned and franchised), no lobby open at all, so in that specific case they were fully shutdown until they allowed lobbies to reopen.

A lack of warm bodies and cost to keep the dine-in area open during off hours.  I've even seen that here in NE Wisconsin.

Mike