Chick fil a with drive thru near me

New York CNN  — 

Every second counts in drive-thru lanes for fast food chains. A recent study showed Chick-fil-A had the slowest one — but only because it’s so popular and there are so many cars in line.

Taco Bell led the pack in speed of service, with an average time of about 221 seconds, followed by Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC and Arby’s. But this metric doesn’t factor the number of cars in line. In that category, Chick-fil-A is the clear leader, with 16% of its lines surveyed counting ten or more cars. McDonald’s, which was in second place, only had 2% with that many customers.

Based on the total time cars spent in line, Chick-fil-A came out on top, with an average of about 107 seconds. McDonald’s came in second at 118 seconds, followed by Taco Bell and Arby’s.

QSR and Intouch Insight published its annual Drive-Thru Report, surveying more than 1,000 consumers who ranked ten industry leaders: Wendy’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’, McDonald’s, Arby’s, Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Taco Bell, and KFC.

Drive-thrus got bogged down last year mostly because of a shortage of restaurant workers, as thousands left the industry. The pandemic surge of drive-thru and pickup and delivery orders only exacerbated the issue

But luckily for customers, drive-thrus have gotten nearly 10 seconds faster compared to last year — and that can be a big advantage in this highly competitive industry.

“Mere seconds can be a make-it or break-it in terms of where a consumer decides to order,” Amanda Topper, a research director at Mintel, said to CNN Business last year.

However, the current average is still about 45 seconds slower than the 2019 pace. The study said pre-sell menu boards, order accuracy and friendliness helped decrease the wait times at drive-thrus this year.

During peak Covid, Chick-fil-A was one of the first brands to close its dining rooms, focusing its attention on bringing hospitality to the drive-thru outside.

“We believe that looking eye-to-eye with the customer allows for a connection that happens at the beginning of the drive-thru,” Matt Abercrombie, Chick-fil-A’s senior director of service and hospitality, said in the study.

The researchers found that Chick-fil-A had fine tuned the “check-point system,” which keeps customers engaged through different interactions with employees.

And that’s clear in consumer sentiment too — 88% of respondents said Chick-fil-A had friendly service, placing it at the top of the industry. Only 1.7% said the service was “not friendly.”

But when it comes to customer satisfaction, respondents said Arby’s had the most accurate orders filled, at 89.6%. McDonald’s and Burger King closely followed.

Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas named the first modern drive-thru in 1970, coining the term “Pick-Up Window.” And though the company this year announced a makeover that places an “emphasis on convenience, speed and accuracy,” it has lagged behind its competitors in the survey.

The chain plans to redesign its interiors and implement new pick-up windows and a more technologically advanced kitchen.

The pandemic has opened up a new consumer demand for the drive-thru, pressuring fast food companies to upgrade signage, sanitation and technology.

In the survey, Wendy’s came in 7th for speed of service and was also the lowest for order accuracy, at 79.4%. CNN Business has reached out to Wendy’s for comment.

– CNN Business’ Danielle Wiener-Bronner and Jordan Valinsky contributed to this story.

Chick-fil-A's "Drive-Thru Express" model is currently in test at approximately 60 locations with the ... [+] potential to roll out to more next year.

Chick-fil-A seems to be taking a page from Chipotle’s playbook.

The chicken chain announced it is testing a dedicated drive-thru lane for customers who order ahead via its mobile app. According to a company blog, the “Drive-Thru Express” model is currently available at approximately 60 participating restaurants with the potential to roll out to more locations next year.

In the blog, Jonathan Lassiter, senior integration leader on Chick-fil-A’s Service and Hospitality team, called the express drive-thru lane a “game changer” that streamlines the experience for digital customers. There are now nearly 50 million of those customers on the brand’s app, according to a spokesperson.

The express lane could also provide a sales lift, if Chipotle’s success with such a model is any indication. Since launching its order-ahead Chipotlane in 2018, Chipotle is now dedicating most its growth to the format–and for good reason. Chipotlanes generate about 20% higher sales than its traditional stores, as well as higher margins.

What’s not to like about that?

Higher sales and margins aside, Chick-fil-A also said its initial tests “significantly” decreased wait times at the window, though wouldn’t specify by how much. No matter, the chain could use such a tailwind, as it’s wildly popular drive-thrus have created above-average wait times and have even driven some customers away.

If this order-ahead model provides a speedier solution in a continued rollout, Chick-fil-A could very well build on its record-high revenues achieved in 2021.

Those revenues were $5.8 billion versus $4.3 billion in 2020, while its average unit volumes reached $8.1 million. For context on just how much money Chick-fil-A’s individual restaurants make–despite being closed on Sundays–McDonald’s AUVs are about $2.4 million. More throughput at the drive-thru means those meteoric numbers could go even higher.

To create the express models, Chick-fil-A is simply turning an existing drive-thru lane into a dedicated order-ahead lane and reallocating existing labor. Customers can select “Drive-Thru Express” on their app if it’s available, then place their order. Once they arrive at the participating restaurant, they’re prompted to scan a QR code before receiving their order in the express lane.

Lassiter said the model expedites ordering and payment and the longest part of the process is the “brief wait” to get an order taken.

“By giving guests the opportunity to order and pay ahead through the Chick-fil-A app, checking in at the dedicated lane becomes a seamless experience, making the express drive-thru lane a convenient new option,” Lassiter said.

Notably, express customers can also earn points and rewards by using the app. The chain has been broadening the appeal of its app, first introduced in 2016, for the past couple of years as digital (and loyalty) customers across the industry have proven they spend and visit more.

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