Would this work?

I was running around today with a two year old in tow and thought I would take something home for lunch rather than cook. I wanted a drive through because unbuckling/buckling a two year old and taking them inside is a time consuming hassle . My only options out here in Oldham Co. were the usual drive thrus selling very cheap food at cheap prices. I understand that if I am only paying $4 for a sandwich I will, most likely, get what I pay for. That is to say, not much. But I wanted something better, something in the way of REAL food but with the convenience of a drive through. I would have happily paid double what I would have paid in a normal drive through to have gotten some real food and not just some overly processed garbage manufactured for speed of delivery. Or are "drive through" and "good food" mutually exclusive terms?

Some of the Panera stores now have drive-thrus. They have some really good soups and sandwiches that are certainly much better than standard drive thru fair.

Some of the Panera stores now have drive-thrus. They have some really good soups and sandwiches that are certainly much better than standard drive thru fair.

Did not know that. Thanks for the heads up!

The difficulty with drive-thru is speed of service. Packaging is also a concern. "Good food" often wants more than 90 seconds to prepare and wants to be presented in a certain way that doesn't always fit in a 8x8 styrofoam box.

Even the QSRs like Qdoba aren't quite built for the drive-thru, since they require a significant amount of customer input in the order process.

We've experimented with drive-thru because we can generally turn out "good food" at a decent pace. The expense of installing the drive-thru and the extra parking lot space required has always been our Achille's Heel.

This is probably why places like Yang Kee Noodle and some of the sit-down chains like Applebee's do the curb side pick up instead.

I was running around today with a two year old in tow and thought I would take something home for lunch rather than cook. I wanted a drive through because unbuckling/buckling a two year old and taking them inside is a time consuming hassle . My only options out here in Oldham Co. were the usual drive thrus selling very cheap food at cheap prices. I understand that if I am only paying $4 for a sandwich I will, most likely, get what I pay for. That is to say, not much. But I wanted something better, something in the way of REAL food but with the convenience of a drive through. I would have happily paid double what I would have paid in a normal drive through to have gotten some real food and not just some overly processed garbage manufactured for speed of delivery. Or are "drive through" and "good food" mutually exclusive terms?

Not with a two year old, but I was just leaving downtown on my way back to the office in the east end and thinking exactly the same thing. Not being excited about a McDonalds, I just skipped lunch (again) because I didn't have time to sit down anywhere.

The difficulty with drive-thru is speed of service. Packaging is also a concern. "Good food" often wants more than 90 seconds to prepare and wants to be presented in a certain way that doesn't always fit in a 8x8 styrofoam box.

Even the QSRs like Qdoba aren't quite built for the drive-thru, since they require a significant amount of customer input in the order process.

We've experimented with drive-thru because we can generally turn out "good food" at a decent pace. The expense of installing the drive-thru and the extra parking lot space required has always been our Achille's Heel.

This is probably why places like Yang Kee Noodle and some of the sit-down chains like Applebee's do the curb side pick up instead.

Ronnie I wish you would do a drive through. Really. (Please?)

Would love to give it a try, but none of our existing properties are set up for it. Certainly not UL, Downtown is no, Poplar is possible, but would require extensive renovation, and Stonybrook is a no. We are looking to put one back in the St. Matthews area if the right real estate can be found. I'll pass it along that a drive-thru location is highly desirable.

I think it defines a class of restaurant when you have a drive thru. Curb side pickup for the nicer places and drive thru for the assembly line fast food joints.

rant to follow:
Working a drive thru at a fast food joint or store setup is an exercise in patience to put it nicely. A case study in how inconsiderate, self centered and rude people can be to put it bluntly. I am sure experiences at the nicer places (panera/starbucks) are different.

Sure the intention was so mom with kids in tow can pick up a chicken dinner or bottle of wine on the way home. But for every mini van mom you have 4 people that either can't or are too lazy to put their pants on and/or cigarette out.

end rant!

Some of the Panera stores now have drive-thrus. They have some really good soups and sandwiches that are certainly much better than standard drive thru fair.

Did not know that. Thanks for the heads up!

Right now I know the one in Middletown across the Target store and the one at Westport Road by Springhurst both have them and I recently read that the new one on Hurstbourne by the Lowe's is going to have one when it moves across the road. I'm sure there are others but those the ones that I know of.

There is a new drive through offering in the OC. Gara's Empanadas opened this week serving several varieties of baked empanadas. The owners are originally from Argentina. We sampled the beef, chicken, ham/cheese, spinach and coconut offerings. Our family enjoyed them all.

They are located in old Bluegrass Coffee outpost near CVS at the intersection of 329 and 146.

They are take out only.

There is a new drive through offering in the OC. Gara's Empanadas opened this week serving several varieties of baked empanadas. The owners are originally from Argentina. We sampled the beef, chicken, ham/cheese, spinach and coconut offerings. Our family enjoyed them all.

They are located in old Bluegrass Coffee outpost near CVS at the intersection of 329 and 146.

They are take out only.

Thanks Harold! I will check them out today!

[Robin Garr]

Thanks Harold! I will check them out today!

Please give us a report, Carla!

Right now I know the one in Middletown across the Target store and the one at Westport Road by Springhurst both have them and I recently read that the new one on Hurstbourne by the Lowe's is going to have one when it moves across the road. I'm sure there are others but those the ones that I know of.

Also the Panera on Dutchman's near Breckinridge.

[Robin Garr]

Right now I know the one in Middletown across the Target store and the one at Westport Road by Springhurst both have them and I recently read that the new one on Hurstbourne by the Lowe's is going to have one when it moves across the road. I'm sure there are others but those the ones that I know of.

Also the Panera on Dutchman's near Breckinridge.

Isn't there one on Shelbyville Road near Oriental House? I know you can drop off donations there.

Isn't there one on Shelbyville Road near Oriental House? I know you can drop off donations there.

I don't believe so, the closest one to there is the one In Oxmoor Center as far as I know. There is a Starbucks in that area, could that be what you are thinking of?