Fast food drive-thrus are getting so good they might get a speeding ticket

A new industry survey shows fast-food chains continue to pick up speed in the drive-thru lane - Image (c) ConsumerAffairs

Artificial intelligence may be helping

Where should you go if you want to order your food and get through the drive-thru in no time flat? There are some chains that are doing backflips to make that happen and their efforts are paying off.

The Intouch Insight 24th Annual Drive-Thru Study said that the average wait time dropped from a leisurely 4 minutes and 22 seconds in 2023 to a mere 4 minutes and 5 seconds this year. Taco Bell took the crown for the fastest service, while Chick-fil-A and McDonald's were top dogs for accuracy.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is trying to help, too – or at least showing signs that it can. Only 4% of orders involved AI this year, but the results are promising. Imagine faster service – faster total time by 29 seconds compared to the overall average total time of the study of 5 minutes 29 seconds – and fewer order foul-ups, all thanks to the power of AI. 

Recently, Sweetgreen opened a fully automated store – Infinite Kitchen – where its entire A to Z process will be made by a robot. Wendy’s reportedly has a chatbot it’s going to unveil in the drive-thru lane. 

Consumers say they like what they see in the quality of their food

Overall, the study found that customers are happier than ever with drive-thru experiences. And while the need for speed is admirable in our go-here, do-that world, the quality of the food means a lot to consumers.

“As brands work to speed up service and implement technology to enhance the overall customer experience, it’s essential not to lose sight of the importance of food quality,” the researchers said. “Serving tasty food at the right temperature is key to ensuring that all these efforts truly enhance customer satisfaction. 

At the top of consumers’ quality favorites were Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s. Both received a 99% score for the taste of the main item. Right behind them were Arby’s, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell.

The big winners

Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s not only scored well in the quality realm, but they performed well across the board. Chick-fil-A was the overall champ, excelling in accuracy, satisfaction and food quality. Raising Cane’s is a newcomer to the list, and its high scores were buoyed greatly by how well it did in the “Satisfaction with Service” category.

Taco Bell is still the speed king, consistently delivering fast service. Tucked in right behind Taco Bell were KFC, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Dunkin’ – chains that fell off the Top 5 quality list, but trying to own the fastest segment.

And McDonald’s? The researchers felt that, despite all the ups and downs the company has gone through, it’s in good shape, coming in second in order accuracy and third in satisfaction total service time. 

'How about some fries with that shake?'

Suggestive upselling isn’t anything new, but it’s getting a lot of renewed attention. At McDonald's, for example, shoppers were offered an upsell 60% of the time, up from 46% last year, while Burger King increased their suggestive selling by 16%. 

And with AI playing a key role in this trend, you’re going to see more upselling. For example, the researchers said that Del Taco is using AI to try and upsell customers into buying more.

“Unlike human staff, AI never tires, and it doesn't hesitate if a customer says no—it will always offer an additional recommendation, ensuring more opportunities to boost sales,” they said.

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