Do you value speed or accuracy when going through the drive-thru at fast-food restaurants? According to a study released by industry magazine QSR , the fastest fast-food restaurants aren't always the most accurate.
The study looked at the nation's 10 busiest drive-thru restaurants to examine their performance.
According to the rankings, Dunkin' has the fastest drive-thru with an average wait time of 216.75 seconds, which is 39 seconds faster than the industry average.
The drive-thru restaurant that was considered most accurate was Chick-fil-A, with a 94 percent accuracy rating. One drawback of Chick-fil-A is its speed of service, which was rated the slowest out of the 10 restaurants measured. The study also found that there were at least three cars in line 77 percent of the time at Chick fil A.
The study found that drive-thru restaurants were less accurate for this year's study than in 2018. The study found that accuracy at drive-thrus dropped from 89.4 percent a year ago to 84.4 percent this year.
QSR reported that complex menus, busier lanes, and the drive thru's emphasis on speed were reasons that drive-thru restaurants were less accurate this year.
"If you just add complex items to a menu and don't change the procedures required to put those items together, there's going to be a lot of inaccuracy. We have some of the most complexity in the industry, and we're able to execute it because we're building a production line that allows us to be efficient," Arby's COO John Kelly told QSR.
Besides Dunkin', Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Carl's Jr. and KFC all had faster than average service. Arby's, Hardee's, McDonald's and Chick-fil-A had slower than average service.
Chick-fil-A, Burger King, Wendy's, Arby's and McDonald's were more accurate than the average fast-food restaurant. KFC, Hardee's, Taco Bell, Carl's Jr. and Dunkin' were less accurate than average, according to the study.
The study also concluded that restaurants were generally more accurate and faster with orders during breakfast hours than the rest of the day.
The study was conducted at locations nationwide from June 1 to Aug. 1 of this year.
To read the full report, click here .
