SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Two of the largest companies in the quick-service restaurant space, Shake Shack and Chipotle, are opening their Scottsdale first drive-thru locations this month.
The moves are yet another indicator that drive-thru continues to be one of the strongest trends in the restaurant industry. Both restaurant chains started by offering higher-quality food fast, but as they grew – Shake Shack has hundreds of locations around the world and Chipotle has thousands – the focus of the restaurants was on having customers coming into the space, usually waiting in line and either eating on premises or taking it to go. But in recent years, both companies have focused more on drive-thru as they expanded.
Chipotle already has around a dozen so-called “Chipotlanes” around the Valley but the first in Scottsdale will open on April 5. Shake Shack is newer to the drive-thru game, opening its first drive-thrus in the country in 2023.