Increase drive thru staff efficiency with one simple change

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a survey from NRA, nearly 70% of American adults are now more likely to order takeout than they were pre-pandemic¹. As consumers are eating more off-premise, restaurants are facing the challenge of delivering great meals at top speed. At the same time, guest expectations on safe and hygienic delivery have increased. Many operators are struggling with understaffing and are exploring ways to make better use of staff members' time. Solutions that fit into existing workflow and save time on frequently performed tasks will increase efficiency and keep guests coming back. 

Today 52% of quick-service restaurant orders are drive thru². Because of this, the drive thru experience is not only an extension of the restaurant experience, in some cases it is the only encounter a customer will have with an operator. As a result, restaurants have to find ways to optimize the guest experience in the drive thru setting. This could include having drive thru staff meet customers outside or making sure to prepare the window with all supplies needed. These are smart ways to offer fast service. One often overlooked opportunity to save time is paper consumables such as napkins. In an industry survey Tork found that 63% of restaurant staff think handling waste from paper products like kitchen paper, napkins, and hand towels takes too much time³. With restaurants nearly 800,000 jobs below their pre-pandemic employment peak it is time for operators to take a hard look to find if their current napkin solution is supporting a more efficient restaurant or not.

"Both restaurant managers and staff struggle to make the most of time, resources and trying to meet higher expectations on hygiene with smaller staff teams. Being a partner, we want to contribute and develop products that can help managers reach their goals and improve their business. We know that takeout and delivery are here to stay. With the upgraded Tork Xpressnap® Drive Thru Napkin Dispenser we hope to increase efficiency and help staff provide a great customer experience," says Dotti Haynes, Marketing Director, HoReCa segment, at Tork, an Essity brand.

The upgraded Tork Xpressnap Drive Thru Napkin Dispenser is designed to keep the drive thru queue moving with efficiency and hygiene in mind. This napkin system dispenses neatly folded napkin bundles that offer a better presentation to guests than when using a basket of napkins, a common set up for drive thrus. Because napkins are kept in the fully enclosed dispenser they are protected and more hygienic than when using a basket. The system is also easy to use for staff, with an intuitive two button design which can deliver multiples of napkins quickly.

As a part of the Tork Xpressnap family, the Tork Xpressnap Drive Thru Napkin Dispenser allows for managers to consolidate to one napkin for all needs because it uses the same napkin as Tork Xpressnap dispensers for tables and counters. Tork Xpressnap helps businesses stay in control of time and napkin consumption by minimizing staff time spent on refilling, reordering, and handling napkin waste. A simple solution that allows staff to focus on serving up quality delivery experiences at top speed. 

For additional information please contact: Weber Shandwick, [email protected] 

The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools, and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, napkins, wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they're always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity, and a committed partner to customers in over 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit www.torkusa.com.

Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company. We are dedicated to improving well-being through our products and services. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as JOBST, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda, and Zewa. Essity has about 46,000 employees. Net sales in 2021 amounted to approximately $13 billion. The company's headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Philadelphia is Essity's North American headquarters. In addition to Pennsylvania, Essity has U.S. operations in Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Essity breaks barriers to well-being and contributes to a healthy, sustainable, and circular society. More information at www.essity.com.

¹ NRA, 2021 LINK
² Technomic August 2021 consumer study
³ Based on third-party market research in US and Europe, 2020

SOURCE Tork, an Essity brand