“8 Ways to Get Faster Now” Guidebook

Delivering Hot & Fresh food, in Clean & Safe restaurants by Friendly & Fast teams is the foundation ofOperations Excellence and key to the success of the BURGER KING® brand. Back in the 1950s, JimMcLamore, one of our founders, coined an expression that is still true today, “Our customers have two

things to spend – time and money – and they would rather spend their money.” Today’s guests describe theirhectic lifestyles as a key reason why they choose to use the Drive-Thru in a fast food restaurant, sometimes asmuch as twice a day.

This Guidebook outlines 8 ways or basic fundamentals of achieving fast service, especially at the Drive-Thru.Fast service at the drive-thru is essential to guest satisfaction and generates the capacity to grow sales as ourguests’ confidence grows that they can get in and out quickly. These 8 ways don’t just improve speed of service inthe drive-thru, your team can improve speed of service at the front counter as well with this focus on execution ofthese fundamentals.

These “8 Ways to Get Faster Now” were compiled from the common strategies and tactics shared by operators thathave achieved and exceeded our current BURGER KING® standard of 150 seconds. Operators who consistentlydeliver great speed of service in every daypart, every day have embraced the key systems. These systems areexecuted consistently by the entire management team and all team members. No longer is great speed of servicereliant on a key team member or manager. They truly have a “Fast Culture” in their organization and anyone inthe restaurant can be fast.

The “8 Ways to Get Faster Now”1. Management Fires Up the Team2. Be Organized for Speed3. Staff the Right Number of Team Members at the Right Time4. Staff Team Members in the Right Positions5. Execute Product Level System (PLS) Effectively6. Stock PHUs with Enough Product7. Use Enough DT Headsets8. Execute Speedy Procedures

In addition to this guidebook there are other tools you should review right away that will help you achieve yourspeed of service objectives.

• 8 Ways Drive-Thru Analyzer, Action Plan, and Problem Solving Process – these tools will help youcomplete a thorough, objective evaluation of your operation and effectively identify the actions that willlead to sustainable improvements

• Manager Command Station – enough materials to set up the Command Station on the side of the heatchute. The Manager Command Station serves as a focal point in running a great shift, communicatingdecisions and tracking improvement. (See Way #2 – “Organized for Speed” for details on the CommandStation.)

Please read each of the following pages explaining the 8 Ways and then discuss with your supervisor the bestapproach in completing the 8 Ways DT Analyzer Tool. Keep in mind how you can take action that will improvespeed of service and sustain those improvements.

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This begins with your desire to create a Fast culture in your restaurant(s) then supplying the spark to make ithappen. You can’t do this alone, so think about the coaching and reinforcement you will need to provide. To do thisyou’ll need goals and a plan. Then fire them up!

Set goals by daypart and segment.

• Daypart Goals – Dayparts are Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, and Late Night and not all dayparts are thesame. Each has its own advantage and challenges – so your goals for each daypart may need to bedifferent. Lunch is when you tend to have the greatest amount of cars and resources so you can and shouldbe fast. At Breakfast, the orders tend to be small,and quick to prepare - you can be fast here as well.Your goals for Lunch and Breakfast can beconsiderably less than 150 seconds. Snack, Dinner,and Late Night may have goals higher than 150seconds based on the challenges of those daypartsand the reality of where you are today. Considerthe table here as 2 examples of setting Daypartgoals based on the average distribution of cars bydaypart in an average restaurant.

• Segment Goals – Segments are the portions of the DT line that we measure with the DT Speed of Servicetimer – Greeting, Menu, Window 1, Window 2, and Total time. These segments tell us where we need to fine-tune our efforts. Look at your current performance on the segments from your DT Timer report for theprevious month. Restaurants that consistently do better than 150 seconds have a Greet Time average of 3 to5 seconds, a Menu Time average of 30 to 35 seconds, and a Window 2 Time in the 55 to 60 second range. Keepin mind that Window time goals may change based on the change in the volume of cars at differentdayparts. A goal of 60 seconds for a month may be reasonable, but a goal of 25 seconds maybe appropriateat Lunch. Set your segment goals based on where you are and where you want to go. Strive for continuousimprovement over time.

Create the Plan

• Start with the Lunch daypart first – the majority of your cars go through your drive-thru at lunch. Byimproving the lunch daypart first, you improve the total day’s average faster. Based on the table above, thetotal day’s average will change 1 second after a 6 second change at Late Night, but after only a 3 secondchange at lunchtime. You may also find that improving your pace at lunch, improves your pace all day.

• Start with the Window segment first – while looking at Menu and Greet Time are important segments toreview, improving window time directly relates to improvements in Total Time. Difficulties with WindowTime may indicate problems with production or staffing and positioning. Caution, only focusing on WindowTime may lead your team toward some unwanted behaviors around keeping cars waiting at the speaker ormake it difficult to compare results at different volume levels. At lower volumes of cars, the guest drivesstraight to the window and can result in a potentially long Window Time and short Total Time. Yet duringhigh volume periods like Lunch, the Window time is a true measure of the capacity or your Drive-Thru.

Coaching & Reinforcement – Fire up the Team!

• Review your progress against your goals throughout the day – Use the flashing daily average from the DTTimer display to give your team immediate feedback against your goals. Give them the reinforcement andredirection as needed on the spot to improve your performance.

• Have Fun – Use the Daily SOS Tracking form posted at the Command Station to fire up your team and reachnew records of speed. Consider appropriate rewards when records are beaten. Highlight in Green anydaypart averages that meet or exceed you stated daypart goals. “Green you’re Mean” -- Celebrate!

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Daypart Goals – example

Total Breakfast Lunch Snack Dinner Late Day Night

150 sec 120 140 160 170 175

150 sec 135 135 165 165 165

% of 21% 29% 19% 17% 15%cars

Way 1 – Management Fires Up the Team

Speed of service is linked to the condition and layout of the tools and equipment team members use to do theirjobs. Every step saved begins to shave seconds off you speed of service. If your team members spend timesearching for tools and supplies this can lead to unnecessary delays. Focus on the following areas to be“Organized for Speed”:

• Drive-thru Window Area• Manager Command Station• Kitchen• Be “Rush Ready”

Drive-thru Window Area – This small area is pumping out over half your sales and any obstacle is amplifiedmany times over. Often 2 or 3 people must work in this area at the same time and coordinate the different rolesthey play such as Ordertaker, Cashier, or Expeditor.

• For the Ordertaker – Ensure they can easily reach all the supplies necessary for making drinks as they areordered. Also check that during their duties they do not block the cash handling or order finishingprocesses. Team Members can pick up seconds if they can see the cars approach the menu board with aworking monitor or mirror.

• For the Cashier – The cash drawer should be located in a convenient location that minimizes reaching andsteps especially when multiple persons are working in that area. Also watch out for excess clutter andunneeded items in their area.

• For the Expeditor – The expediting shelf should be on a direct line with the window and large enough tofinish 2 to 3 orders. Make sure the shelf is divided to match the right bags up with the right drinks.Condiments should be within easy reach with ketchup, napkins, and straws being the easiest to reach.

Manager Command Station – In this package, you received what you need toset up this valuable system. The Command Station locates key managementforms and guides in the area where most managers make key decisions aboutthe flow of their shift. Each tool is located on the side of the Heat Chute in thesupplied holders attached with Velcro for easy access. These tools include:

• Half Hour Sales Projections from PLS (Product Level System)• DT Speed of Service Tracking form (Removed from the Daily Planner

Spiral Book for improved awareness and follow up – Fire Up the Team)• Staffing & Positioning Guide (Master copies included in your package to

make copies for your specific layout.) More information on how to usethis in Ways 3 & 4.

• Daily Cleaning Assignments (Reformatted to fold and fit into the holder.)See the instructions on setting up the Command Station provided in yourmaterials.

Here at the Command Station you can review information for the keydecisions you need to make during your shift regarding calling levels,positioning team members, assigning cleaning duties, and monitoring speed of service all without leaving theaction of your shift. This area also becomes a focal point for discussions with your team.

Kitchen – Looking all over for the spare tongs or marking pen in the middle of lunch can throw off the rest of therush period and you may never recover. Make sure you have enough pans, tongs, grates, pens, utensils, andother tools. Any equipment running at less than peak efficiency such as your broiler, toasters, or fryers can slowdown speed of service. Proper labeling of microwaves, product holding units (PHU), and fryer computersincreases the chances that you are organized for speed.

Be “Rush Ready” – Train your teams to make sure all workstations are “Rush Ready” with all tools, supplies,materials prior to the rush period. Coach them to leave their station “Rush Ready” when they go home. Make achecklist part of everyone’s daily routine.

See the 8 Ways Drive-thru Analyzer for more details on being “Organized for Speed”.

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Way 2 – Be Organized for Speed

Ways 3 and 4 are both about proper deployment of labor but are each important in their own way that they meritseparate emphasis. Without focusing on each one individually, you risk thinking that enough labor alone will getyou fast or positioning an inadequate amount of labor will work as well.

Way 3 is having the Right Number of People at the Right Time and Way 4is the Right People in the Right Position. Bet you’ve heard that before.

Effective Scheduling is the best way to ensure you have the right peopleat the right time. An effective schedule is one based on projected sales --even as far down as to the half hour level. Using sales projections,match up the right number of people with the use of a Staffing Guide(sometimes referred to as a Manning Guide). We have included Staffing& Positioning Guides in your materials. These guides are based on timestudies and product mix models generated by our new Labor SchedulingSystem (LSS). The LSS model calculates the number of people neededbased on the actual work required to generate specific sales levels. ThisLSS model is just beginning to debut into the BURGER KING® System.More information will be available soon. In the meantime the LSS modelgives us a guide to start with.

Select the Staffing & Positioning Guide that best represents you restaurant configuration and make enough copiesto use for each shift – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. The versions included in your materials is:

• 1 DT Window• 2 DT Window• Non DT• 1 DT Window – Breakfast• 2 DT Window – Breakfast• Non DT – Breakfast

Additional configurations will be on the BK® OPS Connect website as theybecome available.

The lower half of the guide lists the sales ranges and number of teammembers needed based on an average product mix with average menuprices run through the LSS model. Use these ranges for scheduling theright number of team members per half hour sales projections. Other menuprice models will be posted on the BK® OPS Connect website.

When making team member schedules keep these key points in mind:• Don’t try to make up labor during peak periods• If you don’t have enough team members to meet the number needed

for the peak sales period, hire more team members with thatavailability.

• Lower team turnover leads to better cross training and flexibility.

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Way 3 – Staff the Right Number of Team Members at the Right Time

The Staffing & Positioning Guide also helps you make good positioning decisions. Each position is numbered inthe order that each primary position should be filled. In addition to the primary position, a person’s secondaryposition and/or duties are also listed. Pay close attention to the secondary positions since at lower sales volumes,some team members will need to fill more than one position.

Here are some things to remember when positioning your team using the guide:

• Fill out the guide the day before your shift using your posted schedule. This way you can plan ahead andspot any potential staffing problems ahead of time and correct them.

• Put “Aces in their Place” during peak periods. You want to be running at top capacity during peaks.Conduct your training during off peaks when team members can concentrate on improving their skills.

• Fill the positions in numerical order. If you have 9 team members, then positions 1 through 9 should befilled. If you cannot fill the positions in order, you have a skill gap that can be filled with training or hiring.Don’t fill in names in 2 places. Focus on primary and secondary duties and use arrows if necessary.Otherwise, you will not be able to identify the skill gaps in your shift.

• Ensure proper balance between the front and kitchen. However with Phase I kitchen and batch cooking, youcan place the next team member or “odd numbered” position into a service position.

2nd DT Windows – If you have a second drive-thru (cash window) keepingthis window open has been proven to improve speed of service at least 11seconds. If you have it, open it. Here are some guidelines for using thesecond window:

• Open 2nd window during all peak periods. Some restaurants keeptheir window open even longer—in the afternoon or at breakfast.

• On the Staffing & Positioning Guide the 2nd window position isnumbered 7. So anytime you have at least 7 people on the shift, the2nd window should be open. To open the window even earlier, andget the savings in speed, have the manager substitute into position #5– DT Expeditor, and move a team member to open the window. If youcan’t open the window with that number of people you have a skillgap, and need to once again, hire or train.

• Only take payment in that window. Taking orders and payment in that window just moves the bottleneckfurther back in the line. You know you have a bottleneck when you hear “Be right with you” on your headseteither to the guest at the speaker or at the window. The true timesavings are gained when you can performboth processes (order taking and payment) simultaneously.

• Use clear signage for the guest instructing them if they should stop and pay, or move to the next window.Most of the promotional materials vendors have in-stock signage.

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Way 4 – Staff Team Members in the Right Positions

The Product Level System (PLS) is critical to running your shift. When the PLS is executed effectively, you areprepared to deliver both quality and speed! Effective execution of PLS ensures the Right products at the Righttime. Otherwise too much product leads to poor quality or excessive waste and not enough product leads to poorspeed of service. PLS helps you strike the right balance.

Here are the key points on the execution of PLS:

• Ensure all your charts are up-to date with the current product mix, soyou will have the right product at the right time. Product mix oftenchanges significantly when a new product or promotion starts orduring a seasonal change of the year, such as, back to school,holidays.

• All charts should be clearly visible at each station and werecommend you set up extra charts at the heat chute formanagement to easily check if the team members are following thecharts accurately. The easel binders we use for RightTRACKTraining work great to hold PLS Charts.

• The manager should call the levels, and change the level light based on half hour sales volume. Use the halfhour sales projection chart you posted at the Manager Command Station throughout your shift. Somemanagers store the waste sheet behind this chart for quick reference and as a reminder that proper PLSexecution improves waste control.

• Ensure all bulbs are functioning on the level light system (wall unit).The bulbs that burn out are usually the ones you use the most.

Using other components of the PLS will help ensure you are RushReady! Check the Workload balance for your restaurant to ensure allproduct is balanced between all the boards in the kitchen. Use theThawing Chart Planner to make sure you have enough frozen productthawed and ready for the day. The Condiment Stock Guide helpsensure you have the proper amount of board prep ready for the mealperiod. Use the Salad Prep Chart to make sure you have salads readyfor the meal period. Running out of salads, thawed products, or prepduring the peak period is a real speed killer.

Way 6 – Stock PHUs with Enough Product

Stocking the Product Holding Units (PHU) with the proper amount of product ensures you are Rush Ready! Manytimes a restaurant goes into the peak period without enough product in the PHUs and doesn’t get caught up until itis tool late – after the rush. Now they have too much product.

To properly execute batch cooking you must build to the production schedule. To ensure the Right amount ofproduct is in the PHU pans at the Right Time, production for each 1/2 hour must begin 5-10 minutes prior to the timethe product is actually needed. (Example for 11:30 -- build-to production the schedule at 11:20, don’t start at 11:30)We recommend one person in the kitchen is responsible for food production. This should be your mostexperienced kitchen person on each shift.

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Way 5 – Execute Product Level System (PLS) Effectively

Using DT headsets can be an easy way to improve speed of service, order accuracy, friendliness, and teamtraining. In the past a headset was a way to eliminate the loud, speaker box that both the guest and us hadtrouble hearing. Now headsets are used to facilitate team work in the DT, relay orders to the kitchen, enablemanagers to improve their reach, and – oh yes – get faster. Today’s headsets use Full Duplex Sound which meansboth, ordertaker and guest, can communicate clearly and at the same time more like a telephone than a radio.

Studies* point out some interesting facts regarding the use of headsets:• Service was 22 seconds faster with clear DT communication versus unclear communication.• A 23 second service time difference per vehicle was found between restaurants using 4 or fewer headsets

versus those with 7 or more.• 83% of restaurants use 4 of fewer headsets.• Restaurants that used headsets in the production area for team members to hear the order clearly were 11

seconds faster.

To gain the improvements in speed that headsets can provide, we recommend that each restaurant have 5 to 7working headsets and enough spare batteries to make it through the day. Make sure that when a headset isbroken or damaged that you have a speedy repair process. Local and national vendors offer exchange and/orrepair options. For more information on national repair contracts and headset purchases go to the RSI website atwww.rsiweb.com.

How do you leverage headsets to improve speed of service?• DT Team members use headsets to communicate with the guest but also with each other by using the “B”

channel – that second button allows communication internally only to other headset users. The ordertakercan tell the expeditor of a change in a special or other item. The ordertaker can tell the cash window personof a change to a total without leaving the window. Anyone can hear the guest order a drink and then drawthat drink right away.

• Managers can use a headset to direct their shift and coach their team. By staying plugged in to the ordertaking process managers can listen for potential bottlenecks in production or service and even intervene ina tense situation with a guest. The manager can also listen and coach the DT team on order takingprocedures and friendliness. Also using the “B” channel, the manager can direct someone to check thedining room, go on a break, or even “fire up their team” with recognition.

• Production team members can use headsets for things like quickly making the right entrée or ensuringenough fresh fries. If a guest orders a Whopper® sandwich and the board person makes it right away, thesandwich will be ready before the guest leaves the menu board. Also production team members can use the“B” channel to inform the manager or DT team of any production delays.

One real life example of the power of headsets occurred during a busy lunch period when a guest ordered aWhopper® sandwich without onions and the ordertaker rang up a Whopper® sandwich minus tomato. Normallythis could cause chaos and the DT to come to a screeching halt or an argument to take place between the guestand the ordertaker, or the ordertaker and the kitchen team. You have heard it before, “I wanted no onions.” “That’snot how you ordered it.” “Make a new one right away.” On this day the guest ordered no onions, the board personheard no onions in their headset. They made a Whopper® with no onions. The manager heard the guest and sawthe order was rung up incorrectly then used the “B” channel to tell the team, “the next car is no onion, not notomato, -- we pushed the wrong key.” What could have been a bad situation was prevented. That’s just a singleexample of the power of headset technology when everyone is plugged in.

*Global Growth Group Drive-Thru Communications Study

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Way 7 – Use Enough DT Headsets

Sometimes you can go faster without going faster. The procedures you and your team use to process orders canplay a big role in your speed of service. Their interaction with the guest can be shortened and still be effective.Also, guests appreciate it when you help them enjoy the convenience of a well-run drive-thru. Guests use thedrive-thru most for its convenience.

Speedy procedures include:• Greetings • Suggestive Selling• Repeating Orders• Window Actions

Greetings – Make sure greetings are prompt, concise, and friendly. • Prompt is within 3 to 5 seconds after the car signals the menu board loop. Review the Greeting segment

from the DT Timer for how you are doing in each daypart. • Concise is keeping the greeting short, such as, “Hi, May I help you?” Selling in the greeting is often

ineffective and can slow down the order process. • Friendly has less to do with the words you use and more about the tone, pace, and clarity of the ordertaker.

Smile with your voice. Also, long greetings tend to be delivered too fast and are rarely friendly. Managersshould listen with headsets to assess and coach their team on greetings and other guest interactions.

Suggestive Selling – Don’t let it interfere with speed. • Consider limiting suggestive selling during peak periods to “easy to ask” and likely accepted items. Limits

suggestive selling to perhaps no more than once per order. It takes about 3 to 4 seconds to ask and answer asuggestive selling question. If you put your effort into reducing your speed of service by 3 to 4 secondsinstead, you will see more sales. In fact, 4 out of 10 guests would have to say “yes” to adding a pie to theirorder to equal the sales generated by faster service.

• Vary your suggestive selling based on the flow of guests. Guests tell us they don’t like being asked a lot ofquestions when there is a line or when they know what they want.

Repeating Orders – the purpose is getting the order right, quickly• Ask faster “Yes’ or “No” questions like, “Would you like the Value Meal?” not, “is that the meal or the

sandwich?” “Is that with a Coke®?” instead of “What would you like to drink?” The answer is often, “Whatdo you have?”

• Default to standard builds on breakfast sandwiches, salads, valuemeals, and kid’s meals.• Repeat the full order only when necessary, such as, if the ordertaker has difficulty clearly hearing or

understanding the guest. Repeat lengthy orders or when the guest requests it.• Review you Menu Time on the DT Timer to see if your team is taking too long to take the order by using too

many questions or suggestive selling. Keep your Menu Time within 30 to 35 seconds.

Window Actions – What you do can be speedy with going faster.• Anticipate the change to the next dollar and have it in your hand before the guest pulls up to the window.

This works very well in 2 window restaurants.• Push orders out the window using both hands and hand the drinks first. Many guests like to look in the bag

and will leave you holding the drink.

When your team is speedy and efficient guests appreciate this and feel you are friendlier and attentive to theirneeds. One caution: many of our team members get used to doing things a certain way whether it is speedy or not.Trying to change procedures and behaviors can take time and effort. Use your headsets and your skill as a leaderto help them.

Use the 8 Ways DT Analyzer with your supervisor to identify the actions you should take now and in the future toget faster now and forever.

Summary: Think of these 8 Ways like the pistons in a high performance engine. To run at high speed, youmust be firing on all cylinders. You can fire them one at a time to start it up but after that all 8 need to beworking together. Your team members are the fuel that runs this high performance engine -- so don’t forgetabout them as well. Your role -- you are the spark that ignites the fuel.

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Way 8 – Execute Speedy Procedures