SUNSET HILLS, Mo. - These days, you can get coffee, convenience store items and bagel sandwiches through a drive-thru, as the concept goes beyond fast-food restaurants, USA Today reports.

More and more companies are discovering that drive-thrus can fuel sales, with sales rising 3% last year, and 2% in 2010, according to the NPD Group. "For the consumer, it's all about time and convenience," said Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst for NPD. "But for the restaurant, it's also about the bottom line."

Drive-thrus are expanding into new areas, including fast-casual and specialty coffeeshops. Starbucks has long had drive-thrus at some locations, starting in 1994. Now, the coffeehouse chain runs close to 2,500 in the United States.

Panera Bread began testing drive-thrus in 2005 and had such success that it now builds drive-thrus in 20% to 30% of new stores, said Ron Shaich, founder. "Drive-thrus aren't bad. What's bad is doing them poorly in a mechanized way with processed food. I'm all for giving people access to Panera's good food €" not limiting it."

Even convenience stores have drive-thrus, with a few hundred stores having the service, said Jeff Lenard, NACS spokesman. Some Pak-A-Sak drive-thrus in Amarillo, Texas, even cater to dogs by offering each canine in the vehicle a free treat.

Read more about convenience stores and drive-thrus in "The Ins and Outs of Drive-Thrus" from NACS Magazine.