Lisa R. Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 There have been many times over the years when I just needed a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs. When I had young kids or a sick child, it would've been so convenient to pull up to a drive thru and ask for a few items. The drive thru could be limited to five items or less. In other words, it doesn't replace regular grocery shopping, but it enables a person to pick up a few quick items without getting out of the car. Years ago, I was so appreciative when pharmacies created drive-thrus. It saved bringing in a sick child into the pharmacy to pick up the prescription. Any business ideas you have no intention of doing, but would like to see done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 I don't have any I can think of, but wanted to tell you that, in S. Florida, we had Farm Stores, and they had a drive thru! You could get eggs, milk, snacks, and other things. Pretty convenient! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Grocery stores will never do it because they make all of their money on the stuff we buy on our way to get the milk, eggs, bread, etc. from the BACK of the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Almost anything where I can order and pay on-line, and then pick-up at the store would be great. Like those take-out spots at restaurants... only for groceries, scrapbook supplies, books...just bring it to the car and I'll be on my way :D:auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich with Kids Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 I have two. The first one is a grocery cart scanner. We spend so much time filling that puppy up (I buy for 7), then we have to unload it at the register, put it all back in the cart again, load up the car, then lug it in the house when we get home. Why can't someone invent a scanner that scans the groceries in the cart and then we can be on our way? I know it's flawed, but it's a start for someone a lot smarter than me. :D The other relates to my first, somewhat. I always forget where I leave my van in a large parking lot. I think there should be an option on cars that you can press a button on your key fob and one of those little guys inflated by a fan pops up on the top of your car, alerting you where you parked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 (edited) A store in the region we used to live started online grocery shopping. You could place your order and pick it up for 5.00 or have it delivered for 15.00. It was never available in our area, but I would have loved it. Edited May 18, 2010 by elegantlion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 There have been many times over the years when I just needed a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs. When I had young kids or a sick child, it would've been so convenient to pull up to a drive thru and ask for a few items. The drive thru could be limited to five items or less. In other words, it doesn't replace regular grocery shopping, but it enables a person to pick up a few quick items without getting out of the car. Years ago, I was so appreciative when pharmacies created drive-thrus. It saved bringing in a sick child into the pharmacy to pick up the prescription. Any business ideas you have no intention of doing, but would like to see done? We have these! They are called Farm Stores. It is a chain and they are all around Florida. I was so happy to be able to drive through and pick up milk and other quick items when I had two babies in the car. Many years ago I remember we had one in California too. My mom used to go to it a lot. The only thing I wish was that they had everything like a Publix so I could email my grocery list and then drive-thru and pick it up. I've thought about that and think it could work with a system of conveyor belts etc. Would be cool! I'd 'shop' at that store!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 My father's store has a drive-thru. He says the people who use it the most are teens (fountain sodas, energy drinks, fast food-ish items) and moms with kids in the car (milk, eggs, bread, etc.) Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Out here my rural Ohio town we actually have 3 local "drive throughs". The main items for sale are cigarettes and beer, but I can get milk, bread, eggs, crackers, pop, chips, etc. without leaving my vehicle. In the summer I can stop by and get popsicles, ice cream, or other frozen treats. We may have to drive 25 minutes to a grocery store, but we have our drive throughs. ;) I'd love to go back to my grandmother's day and have various services coming to my house: the milk man, the laundry man, the bakery man, the man that came around and took her kid's pictures on a pony, the DOCTOR (who wants to pack up a car full of sick kids and drive them to town?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Those Farm Stores must be in south Florida because they defitely are not up here in north Florida. It would be nice though! A drive through grocery store would be awesome!! They could make it something like 10 items or less....and shoot, I'd even pay a convenience fee! There have been PLENTY of times that I only needed bread or something and I have to unbuckle two kids and drag them into the store. What could have been a 5 minutes stop usually turns into 20 minutes. UGH! Love the pop up wind guy LOL!! I NEED one of those! I'm one of those who walks out of the store and thinks "Where the heck did I park?" I want a kid friendly restaurant. I mean REALLY kid friendly. One that has an area gated off around each table.....cause kids want to get down and wander around, yet you don't want them wandering away from you. So having an area around each table would make it where the kids can get down, walk around, yet still be confined to your area. Make it kid friendly but still have yummy adult food. Have an expansive kids menu. Have an indoor playground in the middle of the restaurant where families can wait and play until their name is called to be seated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 We have one gas station here that does drive through. Also, when I lived in Central PA Giant grocery had scanners where you would scan everything as you put it in the cart, bag it in your reusable bags and pay at the front checkout. That particular grocery store also had cart boys who would load your groceries into your cart for you all.the.time. You would part your cart near the front door, drive up to the front door and they would load it into the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catalinakel Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 There was a store like that when I was growing up in the sixties...my mom went there all the time, and as a mom now, I have wished to be able to just drive through to get staples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 I have two. The first one is a grocery cart scanner. We spend so much time filling that puppy up (I buy for 7), then we have to unload it at the register, put it all back in the cart again, load up the car, then lug it in the house when we get home. Why can't someone invent a scanner that scans the groceries in the cart and then we can be on our way? I know it's flawed, but it's a start for someone a lot smarter than me. :D We already have these at Giant here in VA--you scan as you go with a hand-held scanner, and then you bring it to the check out and they do something with it--and you pay--I haven't done it, obviously, but I've seen the hand-scanners! IMO, it's just getting the customer to more of her own customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bairnmama Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 There is a store in my area that will take an order online and deliver it curbside for you to pick up in your car, or they will even deliver to your home or office. They charge $4.95 for this service. You can also order non-perishible items (no glass) and ship them anywhere in the US or APO/FPO addresses like a care package. I think it's a great idea, especially when you are alone with a sick or contagious kid but still need groceries. For pick-up or local delivery, you can order anything in their store and the website even allows searching and has tabs for "organic" or "gluten-free" products. Personally, my idea is to open a movie theater in my hometown. Not for newly released movies, but the old classics that you can't find to rent anymore and rarely get shown except late at night on AMC. I would show classic cartoons before the movie instead of previews, too. Too bad my hometown has too few people to make this feasible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bairnmama Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Those Farm Stores must be in south Florida because they defitely are not up here in north Florida. It would be nice though! A drive through grocery store would be awesome!! They could make it something like 10 items or less....and shoot, I'd even pay a convenience fee! There have been PLENTY of times that I only needed bread or something and I have to unbuckle two kids and drag them into the store. What could have been a 5 minutes stop usually turns into 20 minutes. UGH! Love the pop up wind guy LOL!! I NEED one of those! I'm one of those who walks out of the store and thinks "Where the heck did I park?" I want a kid friendly restaurant. I mean REALLY kid friendly. One that has an area gated off around each table.....cause kids want to get down and wander around, yet you don't want them wandering away from you. So having an area around each table would make it where the kids can get down, walk around, yet still be confined to your area. Make it kid friendly but still have yummy adult food. Have an expansive kids menu. Have an indoor playground in the middle of the restaurant where families can wait and play until their name is called to be seated. :iagree: I would LOVE a restaurant like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Heck, when I was a kid in Orange, CA, we had a drive-through diary a few blocks from our house. One could park and go in - or drive up and get milk, eggs, bread. Our Oberweiss dairy stores in N. Illinois have drive-up service, too. Milk, eggs, butter...ice cream!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 30 years ago or so my cousins bought an old car wash and turned it into a drive up convenience store. You drove in, asked for your items, paid and left. It reminded me of the old general store where you would ask for you items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Out here my rural Ohio town we actually have 3 local "drive throughs". The main items for sale are cigarettes and beer, but I can get milk, bread, eggs, crackers, pop, chips, etc. without leaving my vehicle. A few years ago, our town had a drive through liquor store, too! How weird is that? I don't think they offered anything other than liquor, mixers, cigarettes and soda. Didn't last long... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doubleblessings Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 I would love a drive through grocery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 I think there should be an option on cars that you can press a button on your key fob and one of those little guys inflated by a fan pops up on the top of your car, alerting you where you parked. That's a great idea. I could use one of those! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2denj Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 There was one in Lake City until just a few months ago. My MIL is in Lake City and I though that the farm store was the coolest thing ever. It was in the shape of a barn and you just drive through and get milk, eggs etc.. I couldn't believe that it closed down, but it was a little on the pricey side. Those Farm Stores must be in south Florida because they defitely are not up here in north Florida. It would be nice though! A drive through grocery store would be awesome!! They could make it something like 10 items or less....and shoot, I'd even pay a convenience fee! There have been PLENTY of times that I only needed bread or something and I have to unbuckle two kids and drag them into the store. What could have been a 5 minutes stop usually turns into 20 minutes. UGH! Love the pop up wind guy LOL!! I NEED one of those! I'm one of those who walks out of the store and thinks "Where the heck did I park?" I want a kid friendly restaurant. I mean REALLY kid friendly. One that has an area gated off around each table.....cause kids want to get down and wander around, yet you don't want them wandering away from you. So having an area around each table would make it where the kids can get down, walk around, yet still be confined to your area. Make it kid friendly but still have yummy adult food. Have an expansive kids menu. Have an indoor playground in the middle of the restaurant where families can wait and play until their name is called to be seated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2denj Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 We have these in NE FLA.:glare: A few years ago, our town had a drive through liquor store, too! How weird is that? I don't think they offered anything other than liquor, mixers, cigarettes and soda. Didn't last long... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The*A*Team Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 The town I grew up in South East Ohio, had a store called "The Carryout" and basically you drive thru and it is mainly alcohol and cigarettes, but also pop, chips, snacks, milk, bread, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Didn't read all the responses but when I was a kid in California we Alta-Dena dairy drive through and then in Michigan, when I was in high school, there was Quality Dairy (with milk in plastic bags :glare:). Neither one was a full grocery store but if I want drive through it is generally just for quickies like milk and bread and snacks. Looks like it wasn't a profitable business model because I don't think either is still available. I also remember going to Gemco and having them take your cart and bag your groceries and total it up etc and then you would drive around the back and they would load them in the car for you or some such thing (I was young). I would love to have a store where I can submit my order online and then go pick it up later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 I would love to see a "fast food" joint (with a drive through) that only served healthy, fresh, locally grown food. I'd like it to have several vegetarian choices, too. I think it would really cool to help out the local farmers and offer a healthy alternative to traditional fast food options. Each new franchise would open in a new location after contracting with local growers in that area. I will probably never do it, but I already have the menu in my head and a few names rolling around. If something like this already exists, we need to get one here. Or two. Or three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Heck, when I was a kid in Orange, CA, we had a drive-through diary a few blocks from our house. One could park and go in - or drive up and get milk, eggs, bread. Our Oberweiss dairy stores in N. Illinois have drive-up service, too. Milk, eggs, butter...ice cream!!!! I wish we had Overweiss stores here. We can get the milk at County Market, and get it delivered, but no drive up stores. We did have drive-through dairies in CA, though. I truly miss them. Also, I'd LOVE it if there were some sort of drive-through "fast" food place that had nothing but fresh, wholesome foods. No fryers, no griddles. Maybe be open early in the morning through lunch time, so people could pick up good food for lunch on the way to work. They could have salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, etc. All made that day. Fresh. Never fried. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bairnmama Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 A few years ago, our town had a drive through liquor store, too! How weird is that? I don't think they offered anything other than liquor, mixers, cigarettes and soda. Didn't last long... My hometown had 2 of these! They were both owned by the same person and never open at the same time. All they sold was beer, liquor, possibly cigarettes... but no soda. Every now and then, one would get shut down for some violation and the other would open. They were right across the street from each other, lol! They were called The Beer Barn and Beer Barn II and were just like metal garages with coolers on either side. I don't know if they are still there since I haven't been back in at least 8 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 The Giants here have the scanner. You bag as you go and it is LOVELY!!! There are savings built right into the scanner that other people can't get. You go to the register, scan a bar code, then your savings card....voila! Your whole order pops up. Scan coupons and check out as normal at either the self check or the regular register. As for the drive-thru we have online order and pick-up at the Harris Teeters here. You drive up and hit the intercom and they bring it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 (edited) LIL we have all of these things in the NW except the alcohol sales. Drive through ..... just about everything. Stores like New Seasons and Safeway have an option that you can shop online and Either have it delivered or you can drive up and they bring it out to you. There are healthy restaurants that while they don't have drive through, they do have call-in that will be brought out to your car. There are organic grocers that deliver to your home w/o a commitment. There are numerous delivery services that you can take advantage of here. I guess the rainy weather creates a big demand! Most large chain restaurants will deliver to your car. Places like Apple Bees and such. Dry Cleaners sometimes have 'honk and deliver' if they don't have a drive through. What I would love to see, (it probably exists here but I haven't heard of one) is a daycare for kids with food allergies that eliminates all foods for the kids they accept. I would love to see one, especially, to be particular about toy quality and encourage large muscle active play as much as art projects that it is obvious the teacher did a large portion of. I am so sick of people feeding my dairy allergic child milk! It isn't a life threatening allergy, but the more she gets milk, the less likely she will outgrow it. I also think she comes home with too much energy. I can't imagine that after a day, playing with a large group of kids, that she comes home wound up tight like she was in a chair all day. (PS I am looking for a new day care). Sorry, this is awkwardly written, I don't have time to fix it as dd is fixing my hair and smothering me with kisses trying to get my attention....gotta go :) Edited May 19, 2010 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 A store in the region we used to live started online grocery shopping. You could place your order and pick it up for 5.00 or have it delivered for 15.00. It was never available in our area, but I would have loved it. We have two grocery stores here that have online shopping with no minimum. They even accept coupons (one of them doubles!). I haven't had to use it, but a few of my friends have when they've had sick kiddos. We also have a restaurant called Braum's here - it's a fast food hamburger joint but better - that has a small grocery store inside. They will bring things like milk or eggs to the drive-through window, though I don't think they'll do the fresh veggies or fruit. Or maybe they do. I've never asked... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 I have two. The other relates to my first, somewhat. I always forget where I leave my van in a large parking lot. I think there should be an option on cars that you can press a button on your key fob and one of those little guys inflated by a fan pops up on the top of your car, alerting you where you parked. OMW! Today I had to run several errands in big stores with huge parking lots. As we came out of each store, I pressed the 'lock' button on the key fob so I could hear the alarm and find my van! In one parking lot, a man parked next to me was waving at me to let me know where my car was parked! LOL What I want invented already has been. Just so you know, the "aroundme" app for the iphone was MY idea. Yup, several years ago I told my dh that's what we needed. I was way ahead of my time.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 You order online and then pull into the pickup lane to get it. I've never used it, but keep it in mind "in case." Of course you pay a fee for it, but it might help someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 When I was a kid, we had one near our house. We mostly got milk, eggs, bread, and ice cream there. I'm not sure what else they carried. There is one near us right now. I know they carry milk -- it's called something like The Lazy Cow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 Here in TX we have Beer Barns. Yep, you can drive right in and get your beer or wine, but there's no place like that for groceries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 (edited) I too remember the Alta-Dena Dairy drive thru markets in the 60's. I believe there is still one operating not that far from my home. What I wonder about, is if it would make sense to not just have convience drive thru for a few small items, but to have full scale shopping orders (placed online with an ETA) and you drive up and they have the order ready to go. That could work for some people, I think. Bill Edited May 19, 2010 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 As badly abused as the self-checks are in my store, I can't help but think the hand-scanner bag-as-you-go thing would be even worse from a shoplifting/asset protection point of view. For that reason I don't see it catching on in a lot of places. :glare: I wonder if it would result in less random stuff being left on shelves and in the register aisles, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 Heck, when I was a kid in Orange, CA, we had a drive-through diary a few blocks from our house. One could park and go in - or drive up and get milk, eggs, bread. Our Oberweiss dairy stores in N. Illinois have drive-up service, too. Milk, eggs, butter...ice cream!!!! I'm an adult in Orange, CA, and we still have that drive-through Altadena dairy!;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 We got our beer in high school from the Altadena drive thru dairy. Don't tell anyone as I'm not sure the statute of limitations has run out :D Bill *hic* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 I too remember the Alta-Dena Dairy drive thru markets in the 60's. I believe there is still one operating not that far from my home. What I wonder about, is if it would make sense to not just have convience drive thru for a few small items, but to have full scale shopping orders (placed online with an ETA) and you drive up and they have the order ready to go. That could work for some people, I think. Bill They have it here. Do you have New Season's where you live? They are one of the ones here that do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 Oh....there are no words to express how much I want to order my groceries online and then drive-thru to pick them up....:crying::nopity: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandpsmommy Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 The town I grew up in South East Ohio, had a store called "The Carryout" and basically you drive thru and it is mainly alcohol and cigarettes, but also pop, chips, snacks, milk, bread, etc... Oh my gosh, I was just about to say that! I grew up in Southeastern Ohio as well! I wonder if they have those other places? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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