Restaurant drive-thrus have become slower and less accurate in 2021, according to SeeLevel HX’s annual report.

From a year ago, the average time in the drive-thru line increased more than 25 seconds to 382 seconds. It’s almost one minute longer than it was pre-pandemic. From 87% in 2020, order accuracy fell to 85%.

SeeLevel HX recruited mystery shoppers who waited in line at drive-thru windows of 10 chain restaurants as well as 1,492 other restaurant locations, from July to August. This was to compile an annual study. Over half the orders were placed during lunch hour.

For decades, accuracy and drive-thru times have been important performance indicators for fast-food restaurants. However, the outbreak of coronavirus has increased their importance. Customers turned to the drive-thru lane to get their fries and tacos after restaurants closed their doors.

Even though many people got vaccinated in August, the trend didn’t disappear. The resurgence and popularity of Covid-19 has added to its longevity. According to NPD Group data, in August drive-thru orders accounted 41% of all off-premise orders. This was a significant increase from the 2 year ago.

According to SeeLevel HX, Chick-fil-A topped the list for order accuracy, followed by Yum Brands’ Taco Bell. Arby’s, Carl’s Jr. and Restaurant Brands International’s Burger King all tied for third place.

The firm didn’t release this year’s rankings of which fast food chains have the fastest drive-thru lines. In 2020, Taco Bell’s sister chain KFC topped the list.

This study offers one solution to improve drive-thru speeds and accuracy. SeeLevel HX has found that drives-thru lanes equipped with digital order confirmation boards were able to deliver food to customers 34% faster than traditional drive-thru lanes.

Fast-food restaurants are finding it difficult to hire enough workers, despite the boom in drive-thru sales. To attract and keep workers, many chains are increasing wages. Wages for hourly fast-food restaurant workers climbed 10% in the second quarter compared with a year ago, according to a report from industry tracker Black Box Intelligence and Snagajob. According to, the labor crunch may be one of the reasons for this year’s slowdown in drive-thru speeds and inaccurate readings.

One reason for the slower drive-thru speeds compared to last year could be longer menus. Many fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Taco Bell drastically cut their menus during lockdowns to keep their smaller workforce from getting overwhelmed. Chains began slowly adding menu items to their offerings as the economy reopened. However, most chose not to permanently reduce their choices.