This Fast Food Restaurant Has The Quickest Drive-Thru

If you're in a hurry and looking for a quick meal, the difference between a quick drive-thru experience and a long wait at the window can decide whether or not you get where you're going on time. Unfortunately, thanks to the pandemic and diners' hesitancy to eat inside, drive-thru wait times have increased this year, almost thirty seconds on average. Still, there's one eatery that will get you in and out in under five minutes: KFC (via CNBC). 

SeeLevel HX's annual study of national fast food chains' drive-thru options found that KFC was the quickest choice, with an average wait time of 283.3 seconds. The fried chicken restaurant is the only one that averaged under five minutes, with the next runner up, Taco Bell, coming in at five minutes and ten seconds (via Chattanooga Times Free Press). So if the clock is ticking, get some fried chicken and get going (or, if your diet is plant-based, the Beyond Fried Chicken).

The speed comes at a cost

Part of the reason that KFC may be so speedy might make you think twice about ordering there if you're particular about your foods: KFC came in last out of the 10 fast-food chains' drive-thrus when it came to accuracy (via Penn Live Patriot-News)

If you're a "Hey, I'll eat anything when I'm hungry" kind of person, it might still be worth the speed. On the other hand, if you're choosy about your order, you may want to keep driving and look for a better option. Unfortunately, the number one restaurant for accurate service was also the slowest: Chick-fil-A. Apparently you can't have your fried chicken and eat it too.

KFC is one of three restaurants that actually had faster service during the pandemic this year than last year in pre-COVID times. (McDonald's and Taco Bell were also faster this year than they were in 2019.) So if you're shopping for speed, go KFC, but know that there's a good chance you're not going to get exactly what you asked for.