These popular fast food drive-thrus are getting faster

Fast food chains are implementing all sorts of changes to their drive-thrus, and it looks like it's paying off for customers in line, according to a new report.

Some of the leading fast food companies, such as Wendy's, Chick-fil-A and Carl's Jr. saw major reductions in their average total time in the drive-thru, according to customers surveyed by Intouch Insight. Wendy's saw a reduction in 88 seconds, Chick-fil-A by 73 and Carl's Jr. by 43.

Chick-fil-A for example, had an average total wait time of 183 seconds in 2022 (last year, Chick-fil-A had the slowest drive-thru lane in the survey, but only because it's so popular and there are so many cars in line). This year's time was cut to 123 seconds.

Fast food giants have been racing to improve their drive-thrus in a race to speed up service. Restaurants from White Castle to Wendy's have been investing in artificial intelligence tech for drive-thrus. Chick-fil-A is testing out two new restaurant concepts - a four-lane drive-thru with a kitchen above, and a standalone walk-up location for digital orders.

Covid-19 made drive-thru changes more critical, when customers started relying on drive-thrus even more after a year in which sales took a hit at nearly every major chain. Backed-up drive-thrus are also creating congestion for cities and towns.

The study looked at the top ten fast food companies: Wendy's, Arby's, McDonald's, Hardee's, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Chick-fil-A, Dunkin', KFC, and Taco Bell.

Average wait times decreased by 25 seconds over the year, but that's likely due to fewer cars in line. The survey noted the average number of vehicles in line dropped from 2.76 cars in 2022 to 1.27 cars in 2023.