In 1948, In-N-Out came up with the most quintessentially American technology: the modern drive-thru. With its intercom ordering system and promise of fast service, the drive-thru successfully tapped into America’s obsession with cars, convenience, and efficiency.
That culture endures today. Fast-food restaurants are continually trying to improve their drive-thrus. The end goal? Making the process as fast and smooth as possible. But some chains are more successful than others.
Using data from Intouch Insight’s annual drive-thru study, released in partnership with QSR, we’ve made a list of the fastest drive-thrus in the country. We ranked chains by their average total wait time while also including other metrics from the study, which we elaborate on below.
Wait Time: “Amount of time from when the shopper enters the drive-thru line to when they start to place their order.”
Service Time: “Amount of time it took the shopper to place their order until they exit the drive-thru with their food.”
Total Drive-Thru Time: “Total amount of time the shopper spent in the drive-thru. Time starts when shopper enters the drive-thru and ends once they exit with their food.”