For generations, if customers wanted to eat quick-serve food outside the four walls, drive thru was the go-to solution. But the broader trend in off-premises dining solutions has led to a boom in delivery, curbside, and carryout operations—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how much consumers are choosing to engage with this variety of solutions. (The below figures represent percentage of study respondents.)
| order placement | overall | quick service | fast casual | full service |
| By telephone for delivery | 18 | 45 | 49 | 34 |
| Online on a third-party delivery service's website or app | 18 | 49 | 64 | 49 |
| By telephone for in-store pickup | 20 | 31 | 52 | 39 |
| By telephone for curbside pickup | 22 | 28 | 51 | 54 |
| Online from restaurant's website or app for in-store pickup | 30 | 41 | 56 | 41 |
| Online from restaurant's website or app for delivery | 34 | 47 | 59 | 42 |
| At the counter | 39 | 68 | 46 | 28 |
| Online from restaurant's website or app for curbside pickup | 42 | 43 | 55 | 41 |
| At a drive thru | 100 | 92 | 22 | 8 |
2020 QSR drive-thru performance study Methodology
The FoodserviceResults team conducted a comprehensive, nationally representative survey of drive-thru consumers in the U.S. using an online survey sample. Participants in the research were screened for frequency of use as well as numerous demographic characteristics in order to ensure that the respondent base was reflective of the U.S. drive-thru market.
Leveraging insights from numerous industry experts, the finalized survey was completed among 1,007 drive-thru consumers during fieldwork. To ensure a relevant respondent base was achieved, all participants were screened to include those who had at least one drive-thru occasion in the last 30 days. An extensive cross tabulation of the respondent sample data was conducted in order to identify major trends, demographic/behavioral themes, and other nuances in the data.
