More and more people are heading to the drive-thru, leading to longer wait times. We spend an average of 255 seconds in the drive-thru lane in 2019, 20 seconds longer than the year before. With the rise of mobile ordering and delivery apps, the industry is expecting that to rise.
Industry magazine, QSR visited 5 fast-food chains to measure drive-thru times. Even with updates to their system, Chick-fil-A was the slowest with an average of 322.98 seconds, about 5 and a half minutes, from order to delivery. The brand is on the lookout for additional digital ways to streamline. “We are embracing technology to both provide a better experience for guests and to help take tasks off restaurant team members so they can devote more time to hospitality for our customers,” says Khalilah Cooper, director of service and hospitality for Chick-fil-A.
The fastest chain was Dunkin’, coming in at 216.75 seconds or about 3 minutes and 37 seconds. QSR compiled its data on 10 chains from 1,503 visits across the country between June 1 and Aug. 1.