FRONT END Profile The drive-through at Curby’s features two lanes. Customers are directed to one lane for smaller, lighter orders. For large or heavy orders, customers are directed to the second lane, where attendants will walk outside and place the order in the car.
DESIGNED FOR SPEED
NEW-TO-INDUSTRY CONCEPT
The Curby’s concept began when Gafford and his business partner, Brady Collier, who both have backgrounds in commercial real estate, decided to start their own operating business. Gafford had previously come across a vacant Starbucks with an attached drive-through that had been turned into a no-fuel convenience store. The busy store served as an inspiration and model for Curby’s. Gafford and Collier attended the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show in Las Vegas in 2018, where they learned about the industry and met consultants who advised them and helped flesh out a business plan. Fast forward to today, and Curby’s is a no-fuel express market without interior dining, but with a laser focus on speed for the customer. “We’re next-gen convenience retailing, but we like to think about ourselves also as half quick-service restaurant (QSR), half traditional convenience,” Gafford said. The Curby’s name derives from the concept of the store itself. The idea of curbside service is at the crux of Curby’s appeal, especially with its drive-through. Curby’s decided on a simple design to be the face of its brand — a dog sticking its head out of the window of a car. The logo represents friendliness as well as the idea of catering to the customer. For example, if a customer arrives with a dog in the car, attendants will give the dog a special treat. The Curby’s branding initiative lends itself to sayings such as “curb your cravings” or “new breed of convenience,” according to Gafford. “We want to be able to be that solution for customers,” Gafford continued. “We want customers to see us as an opportunity to curb their cravings, and we want customers to know us as a better, more convenient shopping experience. We want to be all of that to our customers in the neighborhood.” The quick-service mission Curby’s promotes is expressed in everything from its name to its design and the types of food offered. 12
CSTORE DECISIONS •
February 2022
Curby’s planned its stores to be built from the ground up, with its layout spanning about 4,200 square feet. Its speedy, quick-service concept allows it to have a smaller parcel of land than traditional restaurants, Gafford said, with its retail label and lack of interior dining softening parking requirements. “Our first location was able to fit on a half-acre, and it has great room for a double lane drive-through and plenty of parking for people to come in and grab the things they need,” said Gafford. The exterior is designed with white stucco as the primary material, with wood elements as a complement to create a clean image. A vibrant green acts as an attention-grabbing accent color. “We really felt like green brought out the freshness aspect of everything that we’re doing,” noted Gafford. One of the major design elements of Curby’s is its drive-through, which begins as one lane and splits into two — customers will be guided to follow one lane or the other, depending on what they order. The digital menu boards and pre-sale board are at the forefront of the lane. A key and vital attribute of the drive-through is order flexibility, which allows customers to have a more personal order experience via pack members (which is what Curby’s calls its staff), using wireless ordering tablets or ordering traditionally through the order box. A temperature-modified canopy covers the drive-through, with heaters suspended on the underside of the canopy for colder days. This specialized drive-through services Curby’s goal of speed, convenience and enhanced experience, and Gafford stressed Curby’s desire to keep everything “very friendly and customer-oriented on the front side,” with a focus on speed on the back side. The Curby’s drive-through caters to all made-to-order food and beverage options, as well as convenience items. Customers are directed to the jet lane if their orders are smaller, with lighter and fewer items. With large or heavy orders — for example a 30-pack of beer and a bag of ice — the customers are directed to the second fast drive-through lane, where attendants will walk outside and place the order in the car. “That’s how we had to navigate that without anyone dropping anything or potentially even getting hurt, by having to handle heavy objects through a passenger
cstoredecisions.com
