Study: Chick-fil-A Named Slowest Drive-Thru in Fast-Food Industry

Chick-fil-A operates the slowest drive-thru in the fast-food industry, according to a recent study.

The popular restaurant was recently dubbed America’s cleanest fast-food joint, but a study performed by QSR Magazine found that it lagged behind other drive-thrus when it came to speed.

“Chick-fil-A’s speed of service is still the slowest, due to its constantly crowded lanes that aren’t showing any signs of dying down in the near future. The brand is on the lookout for additional digital ways to streamline,” the article noted.

The report said Dunkin’ took first place with the fastest drive-thru, noting that customers spend about 216.75 seconds on average waiting for their orders, whereas Chick-fil-A customers spend about 322.98 seconds waiting for their meals.

However, Chick-fil-A has upped their fast-food game by posting team members outside to take orders and payment from customers on their iPads while they wait.

“We are embracing technology to both provide a better experience for guests and to help take tasks off restaurant team members so they can devote more time to hospitality for our customers,” said Khalilah Cooper, director of service and hospitality for Chick-fil-A.

QSR Magazine did note that the drive-thru’s slow pace may be caused in part by the restaurant’s growing popularity.

On August 2, Breitbart News reported that Chick-fil-A ranked as America’s favorite fast-food restaurant in a 2019 poll that surveyed more than 7,600 consumers across the nation.

“Chick-fil-A received the highest overall score across all categories of restaurants, with a 79 percent ‘loyalty rating,’ placing it above In-N-Out, which was No. 1 last year,” the report said.

On September 20, Breitbart News reported that the fast-food chain had doubled its sales in recent years despite protests against the restaurant because of its support for traditional marriage and Christian values.

“Now, Chick-fil-A is the third-largest fast-food chain after only Starbucks and McDonalds. There are only 2,400 Chick-fil-A restaurants compared to more than 14,000 Starbucks locations,” the report concluded.