Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A still the top bird for drive-thru happiness

ATLANTA - Chick-fil-A is once again leading the pack in the fast food drive-thru wars, according to InTouch Insight’s annual drive-thru report.

The Atlanta-based chain earned the top spot for overall satisfaction, though it didn’t dominate every category. The report evaluated several factors, including total order time, service time, order accuracy, food quality, friendliness, and overall customer satisfaction.

Here’s how the rankings broke down across key categories:

Fastest Total Time

1. Taco Bell
2. KFC
3. Arby’s
4. Dunkin’
5. Wendy’s

Fastest Service Time

1. Taco Bell
2. KFC
3. Wendy’s
4. Arby’s
5. Dunkin’

Fastest Total Time by Car

1. Chick-fil-A
2. Raising Cane’s
3. McDonald’s
4. Wendy’s
5. Taco Bell

Order Accuracy

1. Chick-fil-A
2. McDonald’s
3. Carl’s Jr.
4. KFC
5. Arby’s

Food Quality

1. Chick-fil-A
2. Raising Cane’s
3. Arby’s
4. McDonald’s
5. Taco Bell

Friendliness

1. Chick-fil-A
2. Raising Cane’s
3. Arby’s
4. Carl’s Jr.
5. McDonald’s

Overall Satisfaction with Service

1. Chick-fil-A
2. Raising Cane’s
3. McDonald’s
4. Arby’s
5. Taco Bell

Chick-fil-A also held the No. 1 spot for overall satisfaction in 2022 and 2023.

The findings are based on 1,651 drive-thru experiences conducted at various times of day and across a range of geographic locations.

Chick-fil-A has consistently topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index for nine consecutive years, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Chatmeter’s 2024 QSR Reputation Ranking also placed Chick-fil-A at No. 1 for overall reputation, particularly in food and service quality.

Additionally, Chick-fil-A held the top spot in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for nearly a decade before being overtaken by Del Taco in 2024.

It's probably worth noting that Chick-fil-A's first elevated drive-thru opened in August 2024 in Henry County.