Soul Origin bets on drive-thrus to double sales

It plans to open 50 drive-thru restaurants in the next five years.

Soul Origin (Australia) Pty Ltd. expects its drive-thru format to generate double the turnover of its average restaurant, after the pilot site in Melbourne logged a 20% day-on-day sales growth during its first three days of testing.

The company’s first drive-thru opened on 23 October in Epping, targeting an average service time of just 3.5 minutes.

Chief Operating Officer Adam Neil said internal research showed that customers wanted easier access to the brand beyond shopping centres, where most of its 170 stores are located.

“Sometimes, we’re hamstrung in our core business because we’re in shopping centres with restricted opening and closing times,” he told QSR Media via Zoom. “Drive-thru is an opportunity for our customers to access us easily.”

The drive-thru format allows the Epping site to stay open until 10 p.m., compared with some mall locations that close as early as 5 p.m. Late-night trading has become a focus among Australian quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains looking to boost profitability as inflation pressures weigh on consumer spending.

Soul Origin serves breakfast, lunch, and salad options, with chefs preparing all dishes fresh in-store daily. The fast-food chain offers a wide range of wraps, sandwiches, salads, and olive oil paninis in various flavours.

Neil estimated the cost of building a drive-thru store at $600,000 to $1.2m, depending on the site’s footprint, parking layout, and kitchen equipment. Some of those expenses were higher than expected, he said, but early results suggest the investment is paying off.

The Epping site features a larger kitchen and extensive digital integration, including kiosks, order-splitting systems between the kitchen and coffee sections, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven camera technology.

Compared with traditional Soul Origin outlets that rely on standard point-of-sale systems, the drive-thru uses about 10 times more technology to ensure smoother order flow and faster service.

The model also required a shift in operations. Whilst many of the brand’s in-mall restaurants display pre-made products, the drive-thru prepares every order fresh. Neil said it took 18 months to refine the process and maintain Soul Origin’s signature quality and consistency while delivering convenience and speed.

“Every day is a challenge at this stage because we’re learning,” he said, noting that sales have increased 20% each day since opening. The most significant challenge was some technology integration not behaving as expected, but their information technology team resolved it quickly.

Ensuring that the brand’s loyalty programme worked seamlessly at the drive-thru was another priority. “It was absolutely nonnegotiable that our loyal members—our Soulmates—are rewarded exactly the same way for remaining loyal,” Neil said.

The company chose the Epping location after combining data analytics with on-site observation of traffic flow, visibility, and local demographics. The site’s position between a growing residential area and a major business park was key, as was its proximity—just three kilometres—to Soul Origin’s existing restaurant at Pacific Epping.

Neil said firsthand observation helped validate the data and identify performance indicators. The closeness of the traditional store allowed them to better understand customer habits and test whether extending trading hours beyond the usual shopping centre times would resonate—and it clearly has, he added.

Encouraged by early results, Soul Origin plans to open its second drive-thru in Cranbourne, Victoria in the second quarter of 2026, with several other sites under negotiation. Neil said the company’s goal is to open 50 drive-thru restaurants within the next five years.

Beyond Australia, Soul Origin is preparing to expand in New Zealand, where it will open its fourth branch in December. The company is also exploring opportunities in Southeast Asia but remains focused on refining its operations at home before accelerating overseas growth.

The team is continuously learning and testing new ideas, Neil said, noting that at Epping, they’re testing their potato-based side dish that’s exclusive to the drive-thru.