A Decade of Trust: How Taco Villa Partnered with WAND Digital to Future-Proof Its Drive-Thru

In the heart of Northwest Texas, Taco Villa is more than just a quick-service restaurant—it’s a local institution. Since 1968, the brand has been a cornerstone of the Lubbock community, focused on serving quick, consistent, and high-quality food.

This commitment to quality, combined with an eye toward the future, was never more evident than at the grand opening of their newest location. This wasn't just another store opening; it was the first new Taco Villa in six years, and it represented a major technological milestone for the brand. As owner Greg Blankenship stated: “This grand opening is more than just a ribbon cutting. It’s a celebration of our loyal fans, our Lubbock roots, and the future of Taco Villa. We’ve taken everything our customers love and created a new space that still feels like home.”

Part of creating that future-proof, efficient new space involved making a decisive investment in digital drive-thru technology—and they trusted their long-time partner, WAND Digital, to lead the charge.

The Foundation: 10+ Years of Indoor Reliability

Taco Villa has relied on WAND Digital for its indoor digital menu boards across 11 locations for over a decade. The relationship was built on WAND’s ability to deliver consistent quality and operational reliability—a core requirement for a brand focused on speed and consistency. However, the drive-thru presented a new, more intense operational challenge.

"We've partnered with WAND Digital for close to a decade on indoor digital menus, but are thrilled to now utilize a digital drive thru solution. Manually switching menus for dayparting was a headache. WAND's drive-thru solution eliminated that entire process for us. It guarantees our menus are accurate and has improved our operations. They are a great partner who makes our operations run smoother."

— Chenoa Neece, Taco Villa

The Challenge: Winning the Drive-Thru Race

For any QSR, the drive-thru is the most critical profit center, yet it’s often plagued by operational headaches. For Taco Villa, the main friction points included:

• 1. Daily Daypart Changes/Operational Friction: The complexity of managing static menus simply couldn't keep up with Taco Villa's focus on quick service. Manually switching the drive-thru menu from breakfast to lunch was a time-consuming, error-prone, and frustrating daily task that pulled manager attention away from the kitchen.
  2. Order Accuracy and Speed: In the fast-paced drive-thru environment, even minor inaccuracies or delays can hurt the customer experience and the bottom line.
  3. Customer Engagement: Digital drive thru menus allows Taco Villa to be nimble and intentional with their customer messaging throughout the day.

When planning their first new location in six years, Taco Villa knew they needed a robust, automated solution that could eliminate these issues, not just cover them up.

The WAND Solution: Automation and Operational Certainty

The decision to expand the partnership from indoor to digital drive-thru menus was easy, leveraging the decade of trust already built. WAND Digital delivered a true end-to-end solution:

• • Automated Dayparting: By leveraging WAND’s deep integration capabilities, the drive-thru menus now automatically transition between breakfast and lunch at precise times, instantly and flawlessly. This eliminated the manual labor and ensured 100% compliance with current offerings.
  • Increased Accuracy and Speed: Dynamic digital menus are easier to read and optimize for sales, leading to better order accuracy and a tangible increase in speed of service metrics.
  • Future Growth Confidence: The seamless implementation and immediate operational relief were so successful that Taco Villa has already signed on for a second digital drive-thru location—a clear signal of their satisfaction and belief in the technology.

A Look Ahead

Taco Villa's move to a fully digital drive-thru is more than an upgrade; it’s a commitment to efficiency and a strategic investment in the future of their customer experience.

By expanding their partnership with WAND Digital, Taco Villa continues to demonstrate that a focus on reliable technology and strategic automation is the best way to honor a long-standing tradition of quality and consistency.

Ready to see how WAND Digital can solve your specific drive-thru operational challenges? Contact us today to learn more about our automated, integrated solutions.