YouTuber Unveils the Fastest Drive-Thru Fast Food Chains

Fast food chains are in a constant race to claim the title of the fastest service in the industry. YouTuber Sam Reid recently took on this challenge, testing over 300 fast food locations to find out which one actually delivers food the quickest.

With a YouTube following of over 243,000, Reid is well-known for his adventurous food trials and engaging food challenges. His latest endeavor involved scrutinizing the findings of QSR Magazine’s annual report on the fastest drive-thrus in America, questioning the conclusions drawn and suggesting the listed chains did not meet his standards for speed.

To investigate further, Reid called upon his audience for assistance in carrying out a comprehensive study of over 300 fast food establishments, focusing on their drive-thru service efficiency.

Chains Put to the Test

In this challenge, Reid evaluated the top ten fast food chains in the United States, including:

McDonald’s
Burger King
Chick-fil-A
Arby’s
Wendy’s
Taco Bell
KFC
Dairy Queen
Popeyes
Sonic

Reid opted not to include Starbucks and Dunkin’ as he didn’t categorize them as fast food chains, and Subway was also omitted due to the lack of drive-thru availability at most outlets.

The criteria for this experiment were straightforward: each order needed to include at least one main item, with participants allowed to place multiple main item orders to ensure equitable results. The test was conducted during three designated time slots: lunch, dinner, and late-night hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iuyonBBa50

We Timed 300 Drive Thrus to Find The Fastest One (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iuyonBBa50)

Results of the Fast Food Challenge

The findings from Reid’s extensive testing revealed a striking contrast to QSR Magazine’s report, with Chick-fil-A not topping his list. The rankings based on median wait times at more than 300 locations are as follows:

Rank	Fast Food Chain	Average Wait Time (mins)
#1	Burger King	4:24.19
#2	Wendy’s	4:51.07
#3	Taco Bell	4:58.50
#4	KFC	5:50.07
#5	Arby’s	6:10.43
#6	McDonald’s	6:44.95
#7	Dairy Queen	6:56.40
#8	Popeyes	7:34.99
#9	Chick-Fil-A	7:42.47
#10	Sonic	8:30.58

Throughout the study, the average wait time across all 300 fast food outlets came in at 6 minutes and 22 seconds, with a median wait time of 5 minutes and 21 seconds. Specifically, from the moment drivers entered the line until placing their order, the average was 1 minute and 33 seconds, while the time taken from order placement to receiving food averaged 4 minutes and 48 seconds.

Contrasting Results with QSR Magazine

Reid’s findings contrasted sharply with those provided by QSR, which ranked Taco Bell as the fastest, followed by KFC and Arby’s. In Reid’s study, these restaurants were positioned as the third, fourth, and fifth fastest, with Burger King and Wendy’s coming out on top.

Additionally, QSR’s assessment incorporated Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers while omitting Popeyes, a decision Reid found puzzling given his ranking of Popeyes as a more popular option. It’s noteworthy that QSR conducted some of their testing during breakfast hours, which impacted average times, as many fast food establishments experience lighter traffic during these hours.

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