5 Worst Drive-Thru Restaurant Chains of 2020

By Ghuman

Introduction

2020 has been a difficult year for many businesses, including the restaurant industry. Drive-thru restaurants have been particularly hard hit, with many chains closing their doors for good. In this article, we will take a look at the five worst drive-thru restaurant chains of 2020. We will examine their customer service, food quality, and overall value to determine which chains are the worst of the worst. We will also provide some tips on how to avoid these chains and find better alternatives. So, let’s get started!

5 Worst Drive-Thru Restaurant Chains of 2020

2020 has been a difficult year for many businesses, and the restaurant industry has been no exception. With the pandemic forcing many restaurants to close their doors, drive-thru restaurants have become increasingly popular. Unfortunately, not all drive-thru restaurants are created equal. Here are the 5 worst drive-thru restaurant chains of 2020.

1. McDonald’s

McDonald’s is one of the most popular fast food chains in the world, but it has also been one of the worst drive-thru experiences of 2020. Customers have reported long wait times, cold food, and poor customer service. The chain has also been criticized for its lack of healthy options.

2. Burger King

Burger King has been another disappointing drive-thru experience in 2020. Customers have reported long wait times, cold food, and poor customer service. The chain has also been criticized for its lack of healthy options.

3. Wendy’s

Wendy’s has been another drive-thru chain that has failed to impress in 2020. Customers have reported long wait times, cold food, and poor customer service. The chain has also been criticized for its lack of healthy options.

4. Taco Bell

Taco Bell has been another drive-thru chain that has failed to impress in 2020. Customers have reported long wait times, cold food, and poor customer service. The chain has also been criticized for its lack of healthy options.

5. KFC

KFC has been another drive-thru chain that has failed to impress in 2020. Customers have reported long wait times, cold food, and poor customer service. The chain has also been criticized for its lack of healthy options.

2020 has been a difficult year for many businesses, and the restaurant industry has been no exception. Unfortunately, not all drive-thru restaurants are created equal. These 5 worst drive-thru restaurant chains of 2020 have failed to impress customers with their long wait times, cold food, and poor customer service.

Individuals have been consuming of their automobiles for nearly so long as they’ve pushed them (nicely, at the very least because the Nineteen Twenties). All of it started with a then-new restaurant idea often called the “drive-in,” the place clients would pull right into a restaurant car parking zone and be served by “carhops” delivering meals to their automotive.

The late Forties noticed the opening of the first “drive-thru” eating places, which utilized two-way audio system to attach the client to an worker inside. Drive-thrus differ from drive-ins in that their mannequin presumes clients will depart with their meals and eat it off premises. Over the following 60 years, drive-thrus did not evolve all that a lot, in accordance with fast-food restaurant commerce publication, QSR,  which has been learning the drive-thru sector for greater than 20 years and has, for the previous 22, been surveying Individuals concerning how numerous drive-thrus have been performing.

Nonetheless, these previous few years have seen numerous technological improvements which have helped make drive-thrus a sleeper hit of the coronavirus pandemic. Such improvements embrace order-ahead platforms which might be supposed to cut back wait occasions (though eating places are not so happy about this type of order-ahead app).

This yr’s QSR Drive-Via Examine included the next efficiency measures to give you the most effective and worst in American drive-thrus:

  • Velocity of service
  • Friendliness of workers
  • Cleanliness and sanitation
  • Menu merchandise availability
  • High quality of menu gadgets ordered
  • Order accuracy

In accordance with the survey, this yr’s total “greatest” drive-thru out of the 17 included within the working is Chick-fil-A, which got here in first place in each class besides Menu Merchandise Availability (though solely Arby’s outperformed it on this class). Panera Bread, Arby’s, and Culver’s tied for second place, and third place noticed a tie between Wendy’s and Dunkin’.

However which of the highest 17 quick meals drive-thrus fared most poorly? Learn on for the worst drive-thrus of 2020.

For extra, try the Saddest Restaurant Closures In Your State.

You’d assume Jack within the Field would have its drive-thru sport down by now contemplating it has been within the drive-thru enterprise since 1951 (making it probably the most “skilled” drive-thru included on this yr’s QSR survey). Nonetheless, Jack within the Field was ranked fifth from the underside when it comes to total buyer satisfaction. Jack within the Field did significantly poorly within the classes of velocity of service (during which it was ranked third worst) and high quality of menu gadgets (tying for worst with KFC and Taco Bell.)

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Final yr’s QSR Drive-Via Examine indicated shoppers have been dissatisfied in McDonald’s drive-thru efficiency. However there was additionally cause to hope for enchancment because the Golden Arches acquired an organization known as Dynamic Yield to assist develop synthetic intelligence to make the drive-thru expertise extra seamless. The ensuing improvements have been deemed an goal success. In actual fact, McDonald’s improved its drive-thru velocity by 30 seconds this yr.

Nonetheless, it is clearly not sufficient: McDonald’s landed on the underside of the drive-thru checklist this yr.

Bojangles’ is without doubt one of the 50 largest restaurant chains in America, in order that they should be doing one thing proper, regardless of tying with McDonald’s for one of many backside spots on this yr’s drive-thru checklist. In accordance with the survey, its velocity of service, workers friendliness, and availability of menu gadgets leaves loads to be desired.

Certain, you possibly can do worse than Bojangles’ when it comes to order accuracy, with respect to which it ranked proper in the midst of the pack, and nicely above these two fast-food mainstays. Nonetheless, Bojangles’ would possibly need to contemplate cleansing up its act, actually, as a result of it got here in lifeless final (tied with this well-liked burger joint) when it comes to cleanliness and sanitation.

Customers ranked KFC second to final of the 17 drive-thru eating places included on this yr’s QSR Drive Via Examine. Its scores suffered significantly within the classes of order accuracy (it ranked lifeless final), high quality of menu gadgets (tying for final with Jack within the Field and Taco Bell), menu merchandise availability (it ranked second to final, presumably as a result of clients are so unhappy about these 7 discontinued KFC meals), and velocity of service (second to final).

On the intense aspect, its workers is not the unfriendliest, tying with Burger King and McDonald’s close to the underside of the pack. And it ranked forward Bojangles’, Burger King, Popeyes, and Checkers/Rally’s when it comes to cleanliness and sanitation.

popeyes exterior
Courtesy of Popeyes

And now we come to absolutely the worst drive-thru of 2020. When it comes to total buyer satisfaction, Popeyes rode the caboose on this lineup of 17 drive-thus.

When it comes to menu merchandise availability, Popeyes ranked final, which is ironic contemplating the chain is bringing again this beloved menu merchandise). It additionally got here in final within the velocity of service class and floated close to the underside in the remainder of the classes.

On the flip aspect, listed here are the 8 greatest drive-thrus in America.