![]() There will also be a “speakeasy lane,” according to Condon-specifically for alcohol to go. Its seven lanes will feature one designed for large vehicles, including 18-wheelers others are designated for delivery drivers and traditional drive-thru customers. The enormous building, modeled after the Alamo, will be 50-feet tall. Noting his customers’ preference for convenient take-out food and encouraged by the sales jump, Condon is now betting n drive-thrus. The chef from Omaha, Neb, who also owns an American bistro called Angry Cactus in San Angelo, is building a seven-lane, drive-thru-only restaurant on five acres. Tim Condon owns the Lonestar Cheeseburger Co. food truck in San Angelo, Texas, which quadrupled sales during the pandemic, to an annual revenue of $1 million. Not only has the trend expanded restaurateurs’ conceptions of drive-thru food, it’s also given rise to innovative building designs. Across the U.S., orders at drive-thrus grew by 20% from February 2020 to the same month in 2022, according to a study by the NPD Group, a global retail data company. They stand in stark contrast to the restaurant industry as a whole, which took a beating with 98% of restaurants across the country suffering declines in sales. Saigon Hustle is one of the many drive-thrus that flourished during the pandemic as Americans grappled with health concerns and capacity restrictions in sit-down dining rooms. “We’re already looking at a projected five locations.” The owners are planning a second location in Houston, twice as big as the original spot, with indoor dining and an expanded menu offering pho and fried rice. “The pandemic heightened the concept and added value to it,” says Ghaffar. The restaurant is already on its way to hitting $1.8 million in revenue, originally set as a third-year target. The menu features spring rolls, Vietnamese iced coffee, and a variety of such build-your-own items as vermicelli noodle bowls, rice bowls, and salads, with add-ons like chargrilled barbecue pork and lemongrass tofu. The colorful restaurant is set on the site of a vintage gas station and has a 40-seat patio. The seven-month-old spot was started by Cassie Ghaffar and Sandy Nguyen, in part to create something for busy parents who don’t want to deal with getting kids out of cars and into restaurants. “Its convenient and accessible to not only moms like us but people who aren’t familiar with Vietnamese food,” says Ghaffar. “We wanted to streamline and simplify how to get Vietnamese food quickly and efficiently and without compromising authenticity.”
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