The Critical Role of Measuring Wait Time in the Drive-Thru

In the fast-paced world of quick-service restaurants (QSRs), the drive-thru remains a cornerstone of customer convenience and brand performance. The 2025 Intouch Insight Drive Thru Study underscores one essential truth: what gets measured gets improved. Among the many metrics that define drive-thru success, wait time—the duration from when a customer enters the line until they begin placing their order—has emerged as a critical differentiator for guest satisfaction and operational excellence.

The study’s findings reveal that while total service times are slightly faster than last year, overall drive-thru times remain slower than pre-pandemic benchmarks. The biggest culprit? Longer wait times before customers even reach the speaker. This period often determines whether guests remain patient or frustrated, setting the tone for their entire experience.

As the report notes, wait time is now the largest gap compared to pre-2020 levels. Reducing this lag requires more than simply speeding up order-taking; it demands a holistic look at queue management, staffing allocation, and technology integration. In fact, brands with clearer speaker communication and fewer repeated orders experienced up to 1.5 minutes faster service times, proving that accuracy and efficiency start well before the order is handed off.

The drive thru is also evolving into a digital fulfillment hub, where mobile orders and app pickups add complexity to traditional service flows. Measuring wait time now extends beyond cars in the lane—it must include mobile order parking spots and curbside pickup experiences to capture the total customer journey. As mobile ordering grows, ensuring those guests experience comparable speed and accuracy is essential to maintaining brand consistency.

For operators, the message is clear: by closely tracking and optimizing wait time, they not only shorten queues but also enhance overall satisfaction, loyalty, and throughput. Speed remains vital, but in 2025’s increasingly tech-enabled environment, precision and perception matter just as much as pace.

Key Takeaways for Restaurant Operators:

• Measure end-to-end experience: Include both drive thru and mobile order waiting to understand the full-service picture.
• Optimize the first impression: Long pre-order waits negatively impact satisfaction even before a word is spoken.
• Prioritize speaker clarity: Clear, efficient communication reduces time lost to repeated orders.
• Balance staffing and station flow: Reevaluate labor models and multi-station setups that may slow throughput.
• Integrate AI thoughtfully: Voice-AI can speed transactions, but human oversight ensures accuracy and personalization.
• Track wait time as a KPI: Consistent measurement drives improvement and helps align team goals with customer expectations.

By measuring every moment—from entry to exit—operators can transform their drive thru into a model of modern efficiency and customer delight.