Chili’s Grill & Bar opened a 1,600-square-foot to-go-only unit near the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas in October. A spokesperson said the restaurant gives an “opportunity for Chili’s to break into locales too small” for traditional restaurants and “opens a large addressable market by thinking differently — with off-premises being a third of Chili’s sales.”

Chipotle Mexican Grill said in June that it was looking to optimize its existing portfolio, assessing whether it’s possible to add a drive-thru Chipotlane or a walk-up window. The first walk-up window in an existing unit debuted that month in Gainesville, Fla., near the University of Florida campus. It was not possible to add a Chipotlane there, but the unit has tremendous foot traffic and was ideal for a walk-up window test.

CEC Entertainment LLC in June completed a market-wide remodel of 10 Chuck E Cheese locations in South Florida. The locations offer new technology featuring games with varying skill levels for players, an interactive dance floor, device-charging stations and a 200-inch LED video wall.

In January, Del Taco opened its first Fresh Flex store in Orlando, Fla., one year after the prototype was first announced. The Fresh Flex prototype is designed to accommodate customers who want to be able to use the drive-thru, pick up their food, get orders delivered or eat on-location. It does so with features like mobile app and third-party pick-up lockers with QR code capabilities, double drive-thru lanes with dedicated lanes for mobile orders and third-party delivery drivers, and designated parking lot areas for customers to be able to park and eat.

Jack in the Box introduced a new off-premises-only prototype in Tulsa, Okla., in its fourth quarter. The 1,350-square-foot space was designed to meet continued demand for drive-thru service and digital ordering. It features aa double Y-lane drive-thru, a walk-up window for ordering, dual assembly kitchens and a dedicated pick-up window for mobile and third-party delivery orders.

Bloomin’ Brands introduced a smaller Outback Steakhouse prototype, shaving as much as 16% of the typical unit’s size, the company announced in August. According to Bloomin’ senior vice president of business development and financial planning Mark Graff, “the new prototype integrates the new back- and front-of-house technology enhancements,” improving speed, consistency and execution. The new units also add space for off-premises sales channels.

Panera Bread opened its first Panera To Go in Chicago in June, offering a new restaurant format that’s digitally focused on pick-up and delivery orders. Panera To Go has a reduced front-of-house where guests and delivery drivers can pick up orders from shelves.

Smashburger announced in March the opening of its first location with a full-service bar in the brand’s hometown of Denver. The bar offers craft cocktails, canned beer and beer on tap against the backdrop of flatscreen TVs playing the biggest sporting events. While this is the fast-casual company’s first foray into a full-service environment, president Carl Bachmann says it’s the natural evolution into a more elevated experience that began with the pandemic.

As part of Subway’s efforts to get food closer to customers, the company in September installed its first interactive, unattended smart fridge at the University of California San Diego. The brand said the fridges are stocked daily by the franchisee’s nearby restaurant location.

Taco Bell’s long-awaited Defy unit opened in Brooklyn Park, Minn., in June, almost a year after it was first announced. The two-story restaurant features a four-lane drive-thru, digital check-in screens using QR codes for mobile orders, a vertical lift to send orders down to cars, and two-way video communication with restaurant staffers on the unit’s second floor.

Tim Hortons in June said it would be offering two new models of its restaurants, including a 900-square-foot drive-thru-only version and a 24-seat 1,600-square-foot version. Older legacy Tim Hortons restaurants are at least 2,500 square feet. The new models feature mobile pickup shelves and VIP mobile order parking spots.

The Wendy’s Co. in August unveiled its newest design standard, which is planned for a restaurant to open in spring 2023 in New Albany, Ohio. The new standard, called Global Next Gen, includes features for digital savvy customers including a dedeicated pick-up window and parking for delivery-driver speed and convenience; mobile parking and shelving; and new technology that allows restaurant teams to handle increased digital business.

Wetzel’s Pretzels is expanding its store prototype horizons with a partnership with Macy’s. The pretzel chain opened a kiosk inside the store located at the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, Calif., in February, with the intent of expanding its retail footprint soon to other shopping experiences, like Lowe’s and Home Depot. The first kiosk utilizes a small space within the store, while former storage space is being utilized for the kitchen area where pretzels are baked.

Wingstop’s “Restaurant of the Future” in Dallas, which opened in February, is 100% digital and cashless, providing the parent company with additional customer data. The prototype also has shifted its modular, changeable kitchen into a back-to-front configuration, rather than running it in a line down the side of the unit, and shaved square footage off the real estate by about 300 to 400 square feet.