The number of drive-thru restaurants and cafes in Reading is rising, according to recent openings and upcoming sites.
Drive-thrus allow customers to get their food and drinks from the comfort of their cars and vehicles, which can be helpful for commuters or people who are short on time.
For businesses, they mean increased sales and profitability, as driver-focused locations can have lower operating costs than dine-in restaurants.
The number of drive-thru locations in Reading and the surrounding area has already increased by three in the last three years.
A Starbucks drive-thru opened at Reading Link Retail Park in May 2023, Greggs opened its drive-thru in Bath Road in March last year, and Five Guys opened a restaurant and drive-thru at the Showcase site in Winnersh in January.
Prior to these openings, Reading had five McDonald’s, two KFCs, three Costa Coffee cafes and a Burger King, which all provide drive-thru services.
It comes as detailed plans are being submitted for another Starbucks drive-thru in Scours Lane, near the Norcot junction in West Reading.
The company in charge of the planning process won permission for a totem sign containing the chain’s trademark green and white siren logo and an advertisement for Zest ultra rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging on Friday, May 22.
Starbucks has been eyeing a new location in Reading for some time.
Plans emerged for a drive-thru Starbucks at the Shepherds Hill junction in Earley in November 2023. but were rejected by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee in January 2024.
Months afterwards, Starbucks opened at the Brunel Retail Park in October of that year.
Recent history indicates the chain is moving away from the cafe model, as its locations at The Oracle Riverside and a kiosk in the shopping centre closed in April 2024 and last year respectively.
The short-lived cafe at Brunel Retail Park closed around 12 months after opening in October last year.
You can see the drive-thru cafes and restaurants in the Reading area listed by brand below:
McDonald’s
Forbury Retail Park
Reading Gate Retail Park
Bath Road
Oxford Road
The Square, Lower Earley
KFC
Forbury Retail Park
Reading Gate Retail Park
Reading Retail Park, Oxford Road
Costa Coffee
Reading Gateway
Suttons Business Park, Lower Earley
Reading Road, Winnersh
Burger King
Reading Gateway
Five Guys
Showcase Cinema, Winnersh
Greggs
Bath Road
