When you’re in a hurry and want a convenient meal, nothing’s easier than pulling into a drive-thru. But some fast food restaurants seem to forget about the “fast” part, leading to a frustrating experience. While a lot of it can depend on your order and how busy the place is, a new study highlights the chains with the speediest drive-thrus.
Intouch Insights and QSR Magazine analyzed different aspects of the drive-thru experience at 13 popular fast food chains across the country.
- Each chain was ranked in three categories:
- Wait time - the amount of time passed from entering the drive-thru until reaching the speaker to order
- Service time - time from placing the order to receiving it
- And Total time - the time passed from pulling into the drive-thru to getting the order
- When it comes to speed, Taco Bell wins for total time. They hold onto the fastest title for the fifth year in a row.
- It takes customers an average of about four minutes and 17 seconds to get through the drive-thru at Taco Bell.
- Way down at the bottom of the list is Chick-fil-A. The chain is the slowest for total time, but the report notes that their locations tend to be busier overall and have a different ordering process, with in-line order takers versus a speaker box.
- While Chick-fil-A isn’t the fastest, it does win for friendliness in the study’s survey of customers, scoring a 93%, compared to Taco Bell’s 78%. McDonald’s comes in last with 65%.
- When it comes to overall satisfaction, Chick-fil-A tops the list again with a 98%. Taco Bell is on the lower end with an 88% and McDonald’s is last with 86%.
The Fastest Fast Food Drive-Thrus
- Taco Bell
- KFC
- Tim Horton’s
- Arby’s
- Wendy’s
- Dunkin’
- Burger King
- McDonald’s
- Starbucks
- Dutch Bros
- Raising Cane’s
- Popeye’s
- Chick-fil-A
Source: NY Post