A QSR Magazine study found that it only took three minutes and 13 seconds from the point of ordering your BK chicken fries (and what have you) to the moment you receive your food. Following BK in the speed ratings were Dunkin’, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Arby’s, Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Chick-fil-A, and last but not least McDonald’s.
According to QSR, “being fast doesn’t mean being the busiest.” McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A are the two top-selling fast food chains in America, but they are also the two slowest. Last year Burger King ranked fourth place in QSR's study. This year Burger King is number one, even though they increased their wait time by four seconds from last year.
The average wait for all chains rose by about nine seconds, continuing a gradual increase that's been taking place for over a decade. The publication hypothesizes that the decrease in speed points to the evolution of the fast food industry, as customers are now more willing to wait for quality, even from a drive-thru.
Still, none of this fast food is actually slow. Every drive-thru in the study got food to the customer in less than 5 minutes. We wonder where places like In-N-Out Burger and Bojangles’ would rank on this study. They’re high-quality regional chains that we wish were national.
