Survey finds that drive-thru wait times keep growing

Consumers looking for a quick bite to eat might want to consider skipping the drive-thru, a new survey says.

The 2014 Drive-Thru Performance Study, conducted by QSR Magazine, says that the average amount of time a customer spends in the drive-thru line is 219.97 seconds, up 40 seconds from last year. The longest wait time was between 2:30 and 5 p.m., with breakfast coming in second. Now, lunch is surprisingly not as busy as it used to be (unless, of course, you decide to hit up In-N-Out at high noon).

There are a few reasons why things could be slowing down. "The chains are more focused on serving fresh food and providing a good drive-thru experience with accurate orders," Sam Oches, QSR's editor, told USA Today. Even though wait times are longer, the average number of cars waiting in the drive-thru line is down to 1.7, from from 2.8 cars last year.

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