link (http://www.click2houston.com/news/mcdonalds-to-add-third-drivethru-window/-/1735978/23029002/-/ab9lhn/-/index.html)

McDonald's To Add Third Drive-Thru Window
Fast Forward Drive-Thru designed to help usher those waiting in line along
Author: By Colette Bennett HLVtv.com
Posted: Nov 18 2013 10:51 AM CST Updated: Nov 18 2013 10:58 AM CST

Rich Brooks/CNN
(HLNtv.com) -It looks like two drive-thru windows are not enough to keep burgers and fries at McDonald's coming in an orderly fashion. The fast-food restaurant announced it will add a third. Called the Fast Forward Drive-Thru, the new feature is designed to help usher those waiting in line along and ensure that the flow of customers moves as it should.

Lisa McComb, director of McDonald's U.S. media relations, told HLN that customer response to the additional drive-thru has been positive and that it will be added to new and rebuilt locations starting in 2014. McComb said in a statement, "It enables customers to pull forward to receive their orders at a third window when their order is not yet ready. This test, along with other recent additions like double-lane and side-by-side drive-thrus, will enable us to better serve more customers quickly ..."

Copyright 2013 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved.

Our McDonald's has had three windows for years.

McDonald's Coffee Is Driving Away Customers

Link (http://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-coffee-is-impacting-business-2013-11#ixzz2l3LGAk8O)

McDonald's has spent years offering new coffee products to compete with Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks.

But the McCafe is starting to hurt business at McDonald's, Howard Penney, managing director at Hedgeye Risk Management, tells Yahoo! Finance.

"They went too far on the beverage initiative beginning in 2009 and really hurt the core business,” Penney tells Yahoo!. “They’re really losing customers at lunch and the stores are a little too inefficient because of the distractions they’ve put into the stores.”

Complicated drinks like Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Chocolate Chip Frappes are distracting employees from McDonald's core business, Penney said.

“McDonald’s is known for food first, beverages second. Starbucks is known for beverages first, food second. Whenever you deviate from your core competency, something has to give,” Penney said.

Perhaps simplicity could benefit McDonald's by improving customer service.

Wait times at McDonald's drive-thrus are the longest in at least 15 years, according to a recent study by QSR Magazine.

McDonald's told franchise owners earlier this year that one in five customer complaints are related to customer service, and that number is growing all the time, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Oh, well.

Their McCafe drinks are surprisingly good.

Our McDonald's has had three windows for years.1 of them in my area has also!!!!!! (They dont use middle one however :D)

they show just call it slow food it took me and my mom and dad about 20 minute's to wait on food. this one guy kept getting more and more food.

do you think they should make people pull over if they got to wait a while? i don't see it this one time me and my mom and dad decided not to drive thur then we had to waited on this one guy. we just left went some were else he had lots of food. must been for his family or party or something i think they should let people move over or pull up wait on their food? me my mom and dad used to pull up we had to wait on our food .

Interesting- I haven't seen these before that I can recall, but I'm not surprised. I'm pretty sure I've seen three drive-thru windows at other restaurants, if not McDonald's.