Built-In vs Freestanding Pickup Lockers: A Fit-Out Guide for Fast-Food Counters
When to build a pickup locker into the counter or wall, when a freestanding unit is the better choice, and what to plan with your fit-out team.
A freestanding pickup locker can go in within days and move if your layout changes. A built-in locker is set into the counter or wall so it looks like part of the restaurant, and can be loaded straight from the kitchen. Built-in suits new sites and refits; freestanding suits existing sites and pilots.
Freestanding units
- Delivered and positioned with little or no building work
- Can be moved or added to as volumes change
- Usually front-loading
- Branding through wraps and on-screen messages
Built into the counter
The locker becomes the end section of the order counter, with the worktop continuing across it. Staff load from behind the counter and customers collect from the front. Blanking the lowest level with a matching panel keeps doors at a comfortable height.
Built into the wall
The locker sits flush in the wall between kitchen and customer area, often beside the pass. Signage above the unit and a nearby screen showing orders ready for collection help customers find it quickly.
What to plan with your fit-out team
- The opening size and a power supply for the unit and screen
- Ventilation and access for servicing
- Signage, lighting and the route customers and riders take
- Accessibility — door heights and screen position
- Fire, building control and landlord requirements for your site
Requirements vary by site and location. Confirm them with your fit-out contractor and landlord.
Which to choose
If you are opening or refitting, plan a built-in unit from the start. If not, begin freestanding and learn your volumes first. See the setups on our restaurants & takeaways page.