Yahoo Lifestyle The Fastest Drive-Thru Was Just Named—And You’ll Never Guess What It Is
When it comes to fast food, one thing we all expect when dining is to receive our meals, well...fast. Whether you're dining inside the restaurant or hitting up the drive-thru, no one wants to wait forever and a day just to receive the meal that should have been there in record breaking time.
Unfortunately though, fast food hasn't been all that fast lately, and for most people, opting to pre-order online (or through an app) for curbside delivery seems to be the quickest way to get your food. If, however, you're one of the people prefer the convenience of the drive-thru over curbside, there's one fast-food joint that actually lives up to being just that.
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Thanks to a study conducted by Intouch Insight—in partnership with QSR—we now know the fastest fast-food drive-thru to visit. And surprisingly, it's not the place that you're probably thinking of.
If you're not familiar, the Drive-Thru Study, which is in its 24th year, is a time-based study that uses mystery shopping to capture the results each year. Restaurants included in the study are judged on things like their speed of service, accuracy of order, food quality and customer satisfaction. And as a result, are ranked from best to worst on those factors. Brands included in this year's survey are big name restaurants such as Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy's, KFC, McDonald's, Hardee's/Carl's Jr., Arby's, Dunkin', Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane's.
Related: The Taco Bell Ordering Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner
Which Restaurant Has the Fastest Drive-Thru?
IMAGO / Depositphotos
So which chain landed the coveted top spot? If Chick-fil-A was your first guess, I've got news for you. For the second year in a row, Taco Bell takes the crown. Leading the group of the fastest total time in drive-thru lines and fastest service time, the fan-favorite taco joint seems to have no problem getting food to customers in good timing. KFC followed closely at second in both mentioned categories and Arby's, Dunkin' and Wendy's took turns moving throughout spots three, four and five in each category.
If you were wondering which categories popular food joints like Chick-fil-A or McDonald's led the pack in, it's in one of the most important of them all: food quality. According to the study, Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane's tied for first place, while McDonald's landed itself in the fourth spot. Taco Bell, however, was not in the top five.
By the looks of the study, it seems as if you can't have it all when it comes to service in a drive-thru. Either you want fast service without top-notch quality or you want quality food that takes a little more time to receive. Since everyone has different needs, though, it's up to you how your next trip to the drive-thru will play out.
To check out the full study and the winners of the remaining categories, check here.
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