Fast Food Is Slowing Down (By 44 Seconds)
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In 2003, the national average speed-of-service time was about 190 seconds. In 2018, that had increased to an average of 234 seconds — an increase of 23%.
Twenty three percent! In a 15-year period that saw an explosion of consumer-facing technology and convenience (Prime NOW), the average fast food wait time increased by 44 seconds.
Don’t think that this was just happenstance, or that it has remained unstudied. Entire careers are built on analyzing drive-thru experience. “Off-premise dining” is a major factor in business strategy for every fast food brand out there. In 2018, 70% of sales in fast food restaurants came from drive thrus. If 70% of your business was changing that much, you’d be paying close attention.
What is causing this slow-down?
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We can know these average speed-of-service statistics because most drive-thrus time your car as you go through the line.
My first ever job was at an Indiana Dairy Queen, where I spent two and a half years of my adolescence slinging Blizzards and fries (which, in my opinion, are an underdog for best fast food fries. The Los Angeles Times describes them as “hefty potato batons, long and girthy, with a decent crunch and respectable mouthfeel. The potato flavor isn’t particularly…
