If your restaurant’s dining room is your living room, the drive-thru is your NASCAR pit lane: fast, loud, and suspiciously dependent on people wearing headsets. In 2025, that lane isn’t just a speaker box and a menu—it’s a whole stack: outdoor digital menu boards, confirmation screens, timers, headsets, detection, data, and content management. Choose wisely and you shave minutes off ticket times, pop check average, and keep the “why is there a conga line of SUVs?” nightmares at bay.
We tested, toured, and politely interrogated vendors (and a few long-suffering ops leaders) to build this cheat sheet. Here are five category leaders—each excellent for different reasons—with the operator-minded take on where they shine and where you should watch your kneecaps. Spoiler: DSA Signage is very much on the list.
1) DSA Signage — The Outdoor Workhorse That Makes Your Menu Look Rich (Even If It’s Tuesday)
What they do best: Rugged, weather-resistant drive-thru menu boards—static and digital—with customization options (single/dual/triple panels), speaker posts, and branding elements that look like they were designed by someone who has actually been outside in August. DSA Signage+1
Why operators like them:
- Durability and serviceability. Housing, gasketing, thermal management: the boring stuff that makes your expensive screen not die in a dust storm.
- Configurations for real sites. Narrow lanes, weird setbacks, “we inherited a boulder”—DSA’s catalog has options, and if it doesn’t, they fabricate. DSA Signage
- Speaker post & order point accessories. Fewer vendors to juggle, less “who owns this cable?” mysteries. DSA Signage
Caveats: They’re signage pros; content management (the software brain) depends on what you pair them with. They’ll work with your preferred CMS or integrator—but you must own the menu data governance, or yesterday’s prices will haunt you forever. (Ask us about “cheese add-on drift” and we’ll cry.)
Best fit: Multi-unit groups that want reliable outdoor hardware and the freedom to choose their CMS and ordering stack. Bonus points if your brand standards expect nice trim and lighting.
2) HME (HM Electronics) — The Stopwatch That Runs Your Lane
What they do best: HME is the drive-thru timing & communications gorilla. Their ZOOM Nitro timer gives you a tactical map of your lane—detections, bottlenecks, dwell—and hooks into POS and geofencing so the screen tells the team what to fix now, not next quarter. Pair it with HME’s NEXEO/HDX comms and you’ve got the modern “coach in the sky.” HME+1
Why operators like them:
- Actionable dashboards. Big order clogging the lane? ZOOM Nitro puts a spotlight on it with bottleneck tickers and metrics the team can actually use mid-rush. HME
- Integrations. POS links, multiple detection points, fleet of accessories—HME understands your lane is an ecosystem, not a vibe. HME
- Service network. People who can fix headsets and timers at o-dark-thirty are worth their weight in salsa. HME
Caveats: Timers don’t serve fries. HME’s stack tells you what’s slow; it doesn’t engineer your station flow or rewrite your cook-to-hold SOPs. Bring a process brain (or borrow ours).
Best fit: Any concept where speed of service is the KPI that unlocks everything else (car counts, accuracy, guest forgiveness). Also a must if you manage multiple lanes or have volatile lunch peaks.
3) Panasonic Connect — “I Can Hear You Now” + Outdoor Digital That Survives Weather and Teenagers
What they do best: The Attune® HD drive-thru communications systems (noise-cancelling headsets/intercom) plus digital menu boards and pro services to actually deploy this stuff across a footprint. Panasonic has been in the quick-service trenches long enough to respect cable management and weatherproofing—and they’ll integrate with your existing stack rather than making you change the whole house. connect.na.panasonic.com+1QSR Web
Why operators like them:
- Comms clarity. Attune’s audio wins you order accuracy you don’t have to fight for, especially in high-noise lots. QSR Web
- Outdoor displays that last. Panasonic understands high-brightness, thermal control, and the mysterious phenomenon where guests poke screens like aquarium glass. connect.na.panasonic.com
- Professional services. Large rollouts need program management, staging, and on-site support. Panasonic can be grown-up about that. connect.na.panasonic.com
Caveats: Panasonic is a platform provider, not a “we’ll run your whole menu CMS and loyalty” shop. That can be an advantage (pick best-of-breed) or a homework assignment (own your integrations).
Best fit: Brands that want rock-solid headsets and outdoor boards with a single throat to choke for installation and support—especially at multi-unit scale.
4) Delphi Display Systems — Outdoor Menu Boards With a Long Drive-Thru Résumé
What they do best: Outdoor digital menu boards (Endura series), order confirmation screens, and a CMS to control content across your network; they’ve been in QSR outdoor signage since back when your POS was beige. They also partner with fabricators/integrators (e.g., Keyser) for national rollouts. delphidisplay.comDigital Signage Today
Why operators like them:
- Drive-thru DNA. Their hardware and software aim squarely at outdoor reliability and menu accuracy. delphidisplay.com
- CMS that isn’t a science project. Control dayparts, promos, and item swaps without calling your cousin who “knows computers.” delphidisplay.com
- Ecosystem know-how. Confirmation screens and timing hooks help the crew see the same truth as the guest. (That’s how you prevent the “No, I ordered unsweet tea” saga.)
Caveats: Delphi’s strength is the drive-thru lane. If you want a single vendor for end-to-end guest engagement (kiosks, app, loyalty), you’ll still assemble a stack. (That’s not a sin; it’s modern QSR.) WAND Digital
Best fit: Operators who want pro-grade outdoor menus with a vendor who’s shipped real units, not renders—and who play nicely with your existing ordering platform.
5) Coates Group — Enterprise-Scale Digital Drive-Thru With Serious CMS Chops
What they do best: Design, manufacture, and manage digital drive-thru ecosystems (hardware + CMS + content ops) for very large brands. They’re known for data-driven outdoor experiences and enterprise program management—McDonald’s named Coates its global Digital Menu Board CMS provider and an approved hardware provider. That’s not small potatoes (or fries). QSR MagazineAVIXA Xchange
Why operators like them:
- Proven at scale. If you need thousands of screens kept in sync, with local rules and national promos, Coates has lived that life. Coates Group
- Program management + content ops. The unsexy magic: governance, translations, daypart logic, and “we launched in five countries and nobody screamed.” Coates Group
- Measured impact. Case studies cite order-accuracy gains in the wild, not just the lab. Coates Group
Caveats: Designed for enterprises. If you’re a 3-unit group, you may not need an aircraft carrier when a speedboat will do. But if you’re racing to 300+, the carrier suddenly looks pretty cozy.
Best fit: Large multi-brand groups or franchise systems that require global-grade CMS, ironclad governance, and “please don’t let Tuesday break” reliability.
How to Pick (Without Crying in the Walk-In)
You’re not choosing a logo; you’re choosing a lane strategy. Here’s the framework we use with clients:
1) Name your lane’s one job
- Speed of service is the usual winner, but some concepts chase check average (merchandising and confirmation screens) or accuracy (comms + confirmation + menu logic). If you “optimize everything,” you’ll optimize nothing.
2) Map your stack before your screens
- A digital board is only as good as its menu data. Who owns SKUs, pricing, and images? Does your CMS push to boards, web, app, marketplaces—from one source? If not, fix that first or your team will live inside spreadsheets forever.
3) Separate hardware reliability from content agility
- DSA/Delphi/Panasonic shine on outdoor survivability; Coates shines on enterprise CMS; HME shines on timers and comms. You can—and often should—mix and match. Your future self will thank you.
4) Write the ops play
- Timers don’t coach people—you do. Decide how the crew responds to the ZOOM board, who owns priority at the window vs. pay window, and how managers use reports to staff next week’s lunch. Tools without habits are décor. HME
5) Demand pilot math
- Before national rollout, run a three-store test with baseline vs. post on: average service time, car count, order accuracy, attach on promoted items, and weather-adjusted conversion. If a vendor can’t help you measure, they can’t help you scale.
The Cheeky Buyer’s Guide (From Your Friends at Kuypers Creative)
If you need “bulletproof boards, yesterday”:
- DSA Signage for hardware + your CMS of choice. Add a branded speaker post so the site looks intentional, not taped together. DSA Signage
If your lane is chaos at 12:10 p.m.:
- HME ZOOM Nitro + whatever signage you have. Fix behavior with visibility first; upgrade displays once the team trusts the timer. HME
If guests keep saying, “What?” into the abyss:
- Panasonic Attune® HD headsets. Pair with outdoor boards from Panasonic or your current vendor; the headset ROI comes from accuracy and speed, not glamour shots. QSR Web
If you want signage pros who think in “drive-thru” not “digital art”:
- Delphi Display Systems for Endura boards + confirmation + CMS that doesn’t flake in the rain. delphidisplay.comDigital Signage Today
If you’re an enterprise with governance headaches:
- Coates Group for a global-grade CMS, program management, and hardware that passes the “thousands of stores, dozens of countries” test. QSR Magazine
Tiny Tech Choices That Make a Big Difference
- Confirmation screens: Guests stop arguing when they can see their order. Your window staff will name their firstborn after you. (Okay, maybe a sauce.)
- Daypart logic & weather rules: Auto-promote iced drinks at 88°F; push the chili at 40°F. Your CMS should do this without a seance.
- Geofenced prep: With timers + POS + arrival logic, start cooking when a car enters the lot (not when the universe wills it). HME’s integrations and geofencing are useful here. HME
- Menu hygiene: Dead items rot conversion. Appoint a Menu Czar (we’ll knight them) who owns SKUs, images, taxes, and availability across web/app/boards/marketplaces.
- Maintenance rituals: Outdoor screens are gym memberships for bugs and dust. Write a weekly wipe/inspect checklist and stop letting “we’ll do it tomorrow” turn into “why is our board beige?”
The “Don’t Do That” List (We Love You; Please Trust Us)
- Don’t buy hardware before your content plan. Pretty pixels can’t fix messy pricing.
- Don’t skip a pilot. Your best-looking render will belly-flop at a site with a weird lane curve.
- Don’t set the timer to “impossible.” Crew morale matters. Use stretch targets, not “explain yourself to HR” targets.
- Don’t let five vendors own your destiny. Pick fewer, better partners—then hold real QBRs with data and actions.
- Don’t ignore the speaker post. If the audio is muddy, your menu poetry becomes a game of charades.
FAQs We Get Every Week (Sometimes While Holding Fries)
“Can I mix Vendor A boards with Vendor B CMS?”
Usually yes—hardware + media players + CMS can be composed like a Lego set, as long as everyone supports the same protocols and your content ops are sane. DSA and Panasonic emphasize hardware & pro services, Delphi offers boards + CMS, Coates can be the CMS mothership for large networks, and HME handles timers/comms that sit alongside. DSA Signage+1connect.na.panasonic.comdelphidisplay.comQSR MagazineHME
“Do I need AI?”
You need forecasting and menu logic that behave. Whether the engine is called “AI” matters less than whether it reduces avg service time and boosts attach. Start with timers + menu governance; layer in smarts after you can measure.
“What actually moves check average?”
Visual merchandising (clear pricing, mouth-watering hero items), confirmation screens, and suggestive prompts (hot sides, cold drinks) that don’t feel like a cross-examination.
A Sample Play (You Can Steal)
Goal: −45 seconds average service time, +0.3 attach on beverages within 60 days.
Stack:
- HME ZOOM Nitro for timer visibility and bottleneck coaching. HME
- DSA or Delphi for bright, legible outdoor boards (existing screens OK if they meet brightness/placement). DSA Signagedelphidisplay.com
- Panasonic Attune® HD for comms clarity. QSR Web
- Optional: Coates (CMS) if you’re enterprise-scale and need rule-based promos across regions. QSR Magazine
Ops:
- Re-script the window: one runner, one cashier; loud “handoff” calls.
- Tighten cook-to-hold timers by 30 seconds on items that die quickly.
- Menu logic: weather-triggered cold drink tiles above the fold; confirmation screen upsells “Make it a meal?”
- Daily stand-up: 5 minutes with the Nitro board—yesterday’s worst bottleneck and today’s plan. HME
Measure:
- Car count, avg service time, beverage attach, order accuracy, and “cars that bailed” (if you have video detection).
- Run for 2 weeks, lock wins, expand.
Final Bite (and a Friendly Nudge)
The best drive-thru you’ve ever run will feel boring—in the best possible way. Menus snap, audio’s clean, crews know where to look, and your timer screen isn’t a source of shame, it’s a scoreboard. Whether you pick DSA for rugged boards, HME for timer truth, Panasonic for comms, Delphi for outdoor digital with a CMS that behaves, or Coates for enterprise-scale governance, the win comes from how you run the lane—not just what you bolt to the pole. DSA SignageHMEconnect.na.panasonic.comdelphidisplay.comQSR Magazine
If you want a partner who’ll connect the dots—menu data hygiene, CMS rules, lane choreography, vendor herding, and staff scripts—Kuypers Creative is that friend. We’ll blueprint the stack, manage the rollout, write the playbooks, and stay until the timer ticks in your favor.
Bring us your current lane stats and site photos. We’ll bring coffee, a tape measure, and a tragic amount of enthusiasm for speaker posts. Let’s make your drive-thru the lane guests fight to get into—and can’t stop talking about on the way out.
