Is the Drive-Thru Really Faster?

OK, I ate way too much fast food this week as I went to both Wendy’s and McDonald’s for lunch.  Both times I went around noon.  I was also in a rush on both occasions.

Both times I pulled up and noticed that the drive-thru had a super long line.  I decided to park and run in.  A little game I like to play is take note of the car I would have been behind to see if I can beat it out of the parking lot.

Well, it wasn’t even close.  By parking the car and going into the restaurant I was in and out of the parking lot before the car I would have been behind even made the final turn for the window.

Now I only have two data points and my waste line can’t afford much more data collection so I likely wont be able to confirm this little hypothesis anytime soon.

But even with the limited data I’d like to recommend all fast food restaurants implement some type of andon system letting people know it’s faster to come in rather than wait in the drive-thru, when this is the case of course.

This would help balance the work of the workers in the restaurant.  And, of course, this could help keep customers from waiting too long for all the grease and fat they so eagerly desire.

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