11 Key Stats: Quick Service Restaurants Compared

8. Drive-thru accuracy and performance — 87% accuracy in 2025

Drive-thru accuracy — the rate of orders delivered correctly — was about 87% in 2025, dipping from roughly 89% in 2024, according to industry reporting (QSR Magazine, 2025). Slight declines can reflect higher throughput speeds, more complex digital or loyalty orders, and staff turnover. Accuracy matters because mistakes increase costs, lower customer satisfaction, and create repeat visits that are less likely. Many chains are redesigning lanes, adding order-confirmation screens, and using AI to predict peak loads and staff accordingly. Suburban locations with higher drive-thru volume invest in dual lanes and clarified signaling to maintain both speed and accuracy. For operators, the small difference between 87% and 89% is meaningful at scale — even a one-percent improvement translates into fewer remakes and better net margins. Source: QSR Magazine (2025).