The Drive-Thru Revolution: Adapting Services for the New Normal

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly transformed the service industry. Businesses that swiftly adapted to the demands of a "new normal" have not only survived but often thrived, largely due to the sheer convenience they now offer patrons.

One of the most crucial components keeping businesses afloat has been delivery services, which have become an everyday staple. However, another significant adaptation caters to a different scenario: on-the-road customers. These individuals can now simply drive through to pick up orders, avoiding the steep fees often associated with home delivery. Here are a few essential services you can now easily access on the go:

Drive-Thru Food Items

Let's start with the most obvious: food. As an essential part of everyone's life, it's no surprise that a city renowned for its culinary scene, like San Pablo, now boasts an abundance of drive-thru food spots. Even large establishments such as SM City San Pablo successfully enabled their merchants to arrange convenient drive-thru pickups for customers. Feedback consistently shows the efficacy of these solutions, providing a great temporary option for businesses located within larger facilities.

Beyond malls, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) like Anakula Coffee Pines Memorial Garden have also extended their offerings to people on the move. Items can be ordered in advance for pickup, or you can simply drive through. This flexibility ensures that classic favorites and daily staples are always within easy reach.

Drive-Thru Groceries

Speaking of favorites, grocery stores have also embraced the pickup model. Stores like Sarang Mart along Miguel Leonor Street continue to provide specialized grocery items, particularly catering to K-Pop and K-Drama fans and stans. Imagine grabbing a Red Bean Ice Cream on a summery Monday – it's no longer impossible! You can even stay productive and complete your grocery shopping while stuck in traffic. Simply call or order online from these groceries and request a pickup option.

Drive-Thru Medicine

While technically not entirely new to the drive-thru scheme, pharmacies have long offered customers the ability to order medicine in advance to skip queues. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a significant surge in orders placed through their online or hotline channels. This service is especially beneficial for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Always remember to bring your prescriptions and IDs, as they will be required for pickup.

Drive-Thru Healthcare

Drive-by medicine pickups aren't the only revolutionary development in the medical field. More and more hospitals, such as SPC Medical, have begun offering drive-thru swab tests and lab diagnostic exams. A crucial point to note is that while some smaller clinics may offer similar services, they might lack DOH (Department of Health) accreditation.

Therefore, it is paramount to only go to facilities that not only have the necessary accreditation but also the resources to perform accurate testing. SPC Medical, for example, boasts both the DOH-seal of approval and is recognized as the first molecular laboratory by the Department of Health. This ensures that patients, workers, and samples are handled with the utmost safety and security.

Drive-thru, drive-ins, and drive-bys are rapidly becoming the new norm as more people are allowed to venture outside. Given the rapid pace of innovation over the past year, we can anticipate a surge of new technologies and systems designed to keep us safe while on the move. In the meantime, it remains crucial to consistently practice safety guidelines and protocols.