The annual drive-thru study performed by InTouch Insights, determined which chain has the fastest drive-thru.
And that chain is…Taco Bell.
The research company InTouch Insights conducts the study every year to determine the performance of the drive-thru lines of top players in the fast food industry ranked on things like speed, and quality of food.
Last year, Taco Bell performed in the top five spots for fastest service in the drive-thru.
Overall, wait times decreased by 25 seconds in the industry, down from last years average wait time which the study notes could be due to less cars on line in 2023.
Fastest Total Time
The total amount of time a customer spent in the drive-thru from start to finish:
- 1. Taco Bell
- 2. KFC
- 3. Carl’s Jr.
- 4, Arby’s
- 5. Dunkin’ Donuts
Fastest Service Time
The wait time between the customer placing their order, and receiving their food. Chick-fil-A ranked second and Taco Bell ranked third last year:
- 1. Taco Bell
- 2. Wendy’s
- 3. KFC
- 4. Dunkin’ Donuts
- 5. Carl’ Jr.
Chick-fil-a had the fastest total time by car for the third year in a row when accounting for how many cars were in the drive-thru line, which was calculated by dividing the average amount of cars in line by the average total wait time.
Highest Order Accuracy
How accurate the order was including any special requests. Last year saw Arby’s and McDonald’s dominate. Arby’s is off the list this year…:
- 1. Chick-fil-A
- 2. Burger King
- 3. McDonald’s
- 4. KFC & Wendy’s tied for fourth place
Leaders In Food Quality
This stat determines the leaders in expected quality of ordered food. When the food was served hot the chain was rated 35% higher than when it was cold. The following chains were rated on their expected quality, and how they performed in relation to expectations.
- 1. Chick-fil-A
- 2. KFC
- 3. McDonald’s
- 4. Hardee’s
- 5. Dunkin’ Donuts
Last years results from the same research study of 2022, saw Wendy’s miss the mark and not even make the top five spots in numerous categories. The chain might be turning the ship around as this year (as compared to last year, 2022), Wendy’s came in at number two in the fastest service time category.
It looks like it’s Burger King’s turn to fall from grace, as the chain was ranked last in two categories, and didn’t even make the cut in others. Taco Bell has the speed, and Chick-fil-A has the quality… and speed in bulk.
