Late 2019 into early 2020 was a time for expansion as many restaurant franchises made significant investments in technology, store reimaging and remodeling. However, key priorities and areas of investment quickly changed due to COVID-19 when social distancing guidelines forced many franchises to close their stores or limit their operations and direct their focus to delivery, mobile ordering and drive thru capabilities. Now, more than ever, franchisees have leveraged their creativity to ensure consumers feel comfortable returning, whether that be through offering seasonal outdoor dining options, altering how they take in orders and process payments or materially increasing their drive thru and off-premise sales.
