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 Drive-Thru Study 2026

The Industry Benchmark for QSR Drive-Thru Performance

The 26th Annual Drive-Thru Study finds the average drive-thru visit at its fastest since 2018. With data from 2,145 mystery shops at 13 leading QSR brands across three segments, this year's report shows where the lane got faster, what still breaks the experience, and why the human side of the visit matters more than ever.

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What's New in This Year's Study?

The 2026 study keeps the Classic, Chicken, and Beverage segments introduced last year, so you can see how competitors move within their own lanes year over year. This year we also looked at how friendliness shapes the rest of the visit and asked customers what matters most to them. And after introducing Voice-AI Ordering in 2025, this is the first year we can show how the technology is changing.
Segment Benchmarks

Classic, Chicken, and Beverage,
year two.

Burgers and tacos, chicken chains, and drink-first drive-thrus run on different menus and different expectations. See how each segment moved on speed, accuracy, and satisfaction since 2025, and which brands set the pace within their category.
The Power of Friendliness

The human side of the drive-thru.

A friendly interaction does more than make a good first impression. See how friendliness travels with satisfaction, order accuracy, value perception, and whether guests would recommend the brand to others.
The Customer's Voice

What guests say matters most.

For the first time, shoppers also told us what drives their drive-thru choices, from the factor they value most to the flavors they want next. We also added value for money, packaging, and loyalty to the scorecard.
Voice-AI Ordering

The future of the drive-thru, retested.

Last year, locations running voice AI trailed on order accuracy. This year, they led. With a second year on the same 120-visit design, we measured how far voice AI has come and where it still needs work.

Measuring the Forces Shaping Every Drive-Thru Visit.

Unlike traditional consumer surveys, this study gathers data through real-time, unannounced visits by mystery shoppers. These visits offer an authentic snapshot of the customer experience across 13 QSR brands and help establish an industry benchmark.
Burger King logo Wendy's logo Taco Bell logo McDonald's logo Chick-fil-a logo Dunkin' logo KFC logo Arby's logo Raising Canes logo Starbucks logo Dutch Bros logo Popeyes Logo Tim Hortons logo
The metrics measured for the drive-thru study

Research Methodology: How we collected the data

With the help of our extensive mystery shopper network, we performed 2,145 mystery shop orders across the U.S.
Mystery Shop Allocation

We conducted 165 mystery shops per brand across 13 U.S. brands, with locations selected for broad geographic coverage. Beyond standard drive-thru evaluations, shoppers also completed 40 visits at 3 brands testing Voice-AI Ordering, totaling 120 AI-enabled orders where an AI assistant replaced the crew member.

Timing 

The shopping period spanned from June to July 2026, with orders placed at various times of day (breakfast, lunch, afternoon, and dinner) and days of the week to capture a balanced view of performance in real-world conditions. Beverage brands were shopped exclusively during the breakfast daypart.

Metrics Measured

The study evaluated five key factors that influence consumer choice: Speed of Service, Order Accuracy, Suggestive Selling, Food Quality, and Overall Satisfaction.
Download the 2026 Drive-Thru Study

The key takeaways.

The Emerging Experiences study provides valuable data to guide your investment decisions and improve your customers' ordering and pickup experiences.

Tech innovation boosts customer satisfaction

3 out of 4 innovation experiences received higher satisfaction scores compared to their legacy counterparts. 

Higher overall satifaction scores

Tech innovation leads to speed improvements for digital orders

Investing in technology has streamlined digital order processing for pickup. Whether customers were picking up their orders in a drive-thru, pickup window, or food locker, the study reveals that these innovations have reduced the time spent picking up.

 

Speed improvements for digital orders were noticed.

Innovation drives accuracy

The data suggests that the overall order accuracy scores of 3 out of 4 innovation experiences outperformed those of the legacy experiences.

Overall order accuracy scores were higher at innovation locations.

 

Drive-thru your way to consumer insights.

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