The demand for drive-thru service boomed during the height of the pandemic as restaurants and coffee shops closed their dining rooms. That demand has continued to increase as customers have continued to enjoy the convenience, especially now that mobile ordering apps reduce wait times and the need to yell into a speaker. And what had been a staple reserved primarily for fast-food chains has expanded with more companies that previously only offered dine-in options now looking to venture into the drive-thru business. According to this story from the Wall Street Journal, interest in drive-thru real estate was already growing before the pandemic, but it exploded last year when sales hit a record $12 billion, a 43% increase, according to data firm CoStar Group Inc.