Here's How Burger King Will Look In The Future

According to Fast Company, the pandemic forced fast food restaurants to put the pedal to the metal when it comes to forward-thinking. Rather than focusing on the in-restaurant dining experience, quick-serve chains like Burger King, which has about 7,000 locations nationwide, are putting dollars toward efficient service, from the drive-thru, to online ordering, and delivery. COVID-19 prompted executives at the company to "innovate even faster and to think even more about how quickly we can evolve and improve things like our drive-thru experience or the delivery experience," Josh Kobza, chief operating officer for Restaurant Brands International, owner of BK, said (via CNN).

A la Sonic, new Burger Kings being planned for 2021 see diners pulling their cars up — under solar paneled roofs no less — and having their meals brought to them. Alternately, Fast Company reports you can walk up for service, or go with the classic drive-thru to grab your burgers and fries. Some restaurants will even feature triple drive-thru lanes.

With these innovations, the restaurant's footprint will be reduced by 60 percent, and does not allow space for a dining room. Not that BK is doing away with dining rooms all together — at least not yet. A second new restaurant model works to also reduce the footprint of the restaurant by adding a second story, where diners can eat. Still, car service will also be emphasized. Curbside pickup may also be offered.

Looking for an even more futuristic, and contact-free mode of picking up your Whopper? Food lockers containing your order are also being dreamed up. You'll never even see a Burger King employee! Rapha Abreu, vice president and global head of design at Restaurant Brands International explains the concept: "What we're trying to accomplish here is to provide options. What we tried to explore was . . . different service modes that can adapt to each person's needs."

With that in mind, these aren't even the only possibilities for how the Burger Kings of the future will look — can you imagine what else they'll come up with? For now, you can plan to see the first newer concepts in Miami, Florida, as well as a few locations outside the U.S. According to CNN, current Burger Kings will also get facelifts next year, and in the coming years.