Stopping for fast food quickly loses its appeal if you get stuck in a slow drive-thru line.
Recently, Intouch Insight and QSR magazine asked 1,651 mystery shoppers to use the drive-thru at 11 top fast-food restaurants across the country and report back on their experience.
Each restaurant was judged based on the amount of time a customer spent in line from the moment of entering to the moment of exiting the drive-thru.
Based on those findings, these are the fastest drive-thru restaurants in America — and the slowest ones.
1. Taco Bell
This restaurant’s average total drive-thru time: 255.78 seconds (about 4.3 minutes)
Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey, California, in 1962. The chain had 868 locations when Bell sold it to PepsiCo Inc. in 1978. Today, there are 8,000 locations worldwide.
2. KFC
This restaurant’s average total drive-thru time: 259.47 seconds (about 4.3 minutes)
The world-famous “Colonel,” Harland Sanders, created his renowned blend of 11 herbs and spices in 1939. He opened the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952. The name was changed to KFC in 1991, in part to avoid the unhealthy connotations of “fried.” Today, there are 30,000 KFC restaurants around the world.
3. Arby’s
This restaurant’s average total drive-thru time: 283.45 seconds (about 4.7 minutes)
The first Arby’s location opened in 1964, and the chain has grown to more than 3,600 locations worldwide. Today, Arby’s is part of Atlanta-based Inspire Brands.
4. Dunkin’
This restaurant’s average total drive-thru time: 287.30 seconds (about 4.8 minutes)
Dunkin’ Donuts began in 1948 in Quincy, Massachusetts, with a doughnut and coffee shop called Open Kettle. Founder William Rosenberg renamed it Dunkin’ Donuts in 1950, and the first franchise opened in 1955. The name was shortened to Dunkin’ in 2018. There are now more than 12,000 locations worldwide.
5. Wendy’s
This restaurant’s average total drive-thru time: 301.80 seconds (about 5.0 minutes)
Late in 1969, Dave Thomas opened the doors to the first Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Square beef patties quickly became the chain’s trademark.
Today, there are nearly 6,000 Wendy’s locations in the U.S. and more than 400 in Canada.
Restaurants with slow drive-thru times
Not every drive-thru will get you to your food in fewer than five minutes. These chains had the slowest average times, according to the study:
- Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s: Average total drive-thru time of 338.64 seconds (about 5.6 minutes)
- Burger King: 339.13 seconds (about 5.7 minutes)
- Raising Cane’s: 370.08 seconds (about 6.2 minutes)
- McDonald’s: 375.67 seconds (about 6.3 minutes)
- Chick-fil-A: 479.42 seconds (about 8.0 minutes)
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