QSR Magazine: The 2016 QSR Drive-Thru Study

Restaurants in the quick-service and fast-casual industry consistently see 60-70 percent of their business come from drive thrus, so it is very important that they get it right. To find out how the top brands are doing, QSR Magazine recently conducted their Drive-Thru Study to break down critical metrics including speed of service, order accuracy, and customer service.

The all-star brand--in terms of speed of service--with an average 169-second service time, is Wendy’s. Michael Gist, vice president of restaurant services at Wendy’s says their success is largely due to tracking line times and optimizing the layout of the kitchens constantly.

Taco Bell’s recent success on social media and with new products launches such as the Doritos Locos Tacos is extending to the brand’s drive-thru strategy. The company’s most solid scores come in the customer service category, just two years after their drive-thru system makeover with new menuboards, headsets, and back-of-house operations. The team has seen significant changes in employee satisfaction, which has translated to an overall more positive customer experience.

Arby’s has made changes to their back-of-house systems with its new Inspire store prototype, but the brand is still looking for new ways to innovate their drive thru. “We try to differentiate the guest at the menuboard so we understand whether or not they’re in a real hurry, or if they’ve got a little bit more time, or if they’re searching out something new on the menu,” says Rick Gestring, vice president of Arby’s brand and operations integration. “We try to augment our service experience to their needs,” he says.

A brand that is newer to the drive-thru industry, Starbucks, surprisingly ranks last in drive-thru speed of service and in the bottom half with order accuracy. The company has recently brought on an operations consultant to help improve their systems and the experience.