If you need your fast food to happen even faster, here’s a quick guide:  An annual report called the “Drive-Thru Study” just came out.  It compares the speed and accuracy at 10 of the biggest fast food chains in America by having “mystery shoppers” visit over 150 locations for each one.

So who’s the fastest?  If you’re in a rush and looking for the fastest drive-thru experience possible, TACO BELL took the top spot this year.

From the moment you pull in to when you drive off, Taco Bell’s average is 4 minutes and 39 seconds.  That’s a full minute faster than average.

The overall average was 5 minutes and 43 seconds, and that’s not bad either.  Compared to 2022, drive-thrus got about 30 seconds faster in the past year.

1.  The fastest drive-thrus overall were Taco Bell, KFC, and Carl’s Jr.  Chick-fil-A was the slowest, but also the most accurate.

2.  The most accurate overall were Chick-fil-A, Burger King, and McDonald’s.

3.  For accuracy, they also looked at the top things fast-food places mess up.  #1 is putting ice in your drink when you said NO ice.  Then it’s adding the wrong ingredients to an entrée.  Like getting pickles when you said “no pickles.”

4.  They also looked at the top ways they UP-SELL us in the drive-thru.  The most common by far is asking if you want to “make that a combo.”  Then it’s asking if you want to “upsize” your combo, and asking if you want to upsize your drink.

5.  And finally, the study found the top thing that could make drive-thrus even faster is making sure the person working speaks clearly, and listens.

When they’re easy to understand AND we don’t have to repeat ourselves, it can shave off a full minute. 

(Drive-Thru Report / The Hill)

Originally posted on October 3rd, 2023