It’s called “fast food” for a reason, but some restaurants do it better than others.
A new report from Intouch Insights and QSR Magazine looked at 13 different fast-food chains and analyzed different aspects of the drive-thru experience.
Each fast-food chain was ranked by three categories: wait time (the amount of time passed from entering the drive-thru until reaching the speaker to order), service time (time passed from placing order to receiving order), and total time (time passed from entering the drive-thru to receiving order).
Taco Bell ranked as the fastest drive-thru, by total time, for the fifth consecutive year, according to the 2025 Drive Thru Report.
It takes customers an average of 256.81 seconds — or about four minutes and 17 seconds — total to get through the drive-thru at Taco Bell.
“Speed, accuracy, and friendliness remain foundational to success, but at Taco Bell, we see them as part of broader ambition: delivering exceptional hospitality,” Dane Mathews, Taco Bell’s chief digital and technology officer, told QSR.
“Today’s drive-thru success isn’t just about how fast or precise the drive-thru is—it’s about how the experience makes you feel,” Mathews said.
“That’s why we’re focused on metrics that reflect both operational excellence and customer experience. Technology is helping us elevate all of these, but it’s the feeling you leave with that defines a truly great drive-thru.”
Chick-fil-A tends to come in at the bottom of the list for total time it takes to go through the drive-thru. However, the report noted that Chick-fil-A locations are in general busier than other brands and have a different way of taking orders with in-line order-takers versus a speaker box.
Monique Birkeli, senior director, hospitality & service experience at Chick-fil-A, Inc., said the company wants to give customers a “warm, friendly interaction with our team members.”
“For us, table stakes in the drive-thru today are clear: a remarkable experience that combines efficiency, accuracy, and hospitality every single time.”
However, earlier this year, a different Intouch Insight report ranked Chick-fil-A as the most accurate in the market with an average accuracy rate of 92% over the past six years.
Birkeli added, “Looking ahead, we’re exploring how emerging technologies, such as intelligent queue management and enhanced personalization, could make the experience even more seamless, while keeping hospitality at the heart of it all.”
Here are the top restaurants ranked by total time spent in seconds:
- Taco Bell
- KFC
- Tim Hortons
- Arby’s
- Wendy’s
- Dunkin’
- Burger King
- McDonald’s
- Starbucks
- Dutch Bros
- Raising Cane’s
- Popeyes
- Chick-fil-A
Read the full article here
