The motoring experts at Moneybarn Car Finance analysed the number of drive-thrus at McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Starbucks and compared them to the population in each of the country’s biggest cities.
You can find the research in full here: https://www.moneybarn.com/blog/latest-motor-news/foodie-drive-thru-destinations/
The cities with the best drive-thru numbers:
| McDonald’s | Burger King | KFC | Starbucks | |||||||||
| Rank | City/town | Region | Population | Total | Per 100,000 people | Total | Per 100,000 people | Total | Per 100,000 people | Total | Per 100,000 people | Drive-thru score /10 |
| 1 | Glasgow | Scotland | 617,794 | 20 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.0 | 7 | 1.1 | 9 | 1.5 | 8.62 |
| 2 | Kingston upon Hull | Yorkshire & the Humber | 270,806 | 5 | 1.8 | 3 | 1.1 | 5 | 1.8 | 3 | 1.1 | 7.93 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | Scotland | 192,956 | 5 | 2.6 | 3 | 1.6 | 1 | 0.5 | 4 | 2.1 | 7.76 |
| 3 | Milton Keynes | South East | 197,354 | 8 | 4.1 | 1 | 0.5 | 4 | 2.0 | 1 | 0.5 | 7.76 |
| 5 | Nottingham | East Midlands | 299,797 | 7 | 2.3 | 2 | 0.7 | 7 | 2.3 | 2 | 0.7 | 7.59 |
| 6 | Cardiff | Wales | 348,546 | 8 | 2.3 | 3 | 0.9 | 4 | 1.1 | 5 | 1.4 | 7.50 |
| 7 | Bristol | South West | 425,232 | 11 | 2.6 | 3 | 0.7 | 7 | 1.6 | 2 | 0.5 | 7.42 |
| 8 | Liverpool | North West | 506,552 | 13 | 2.6 | 1 | 0.2 | 6 | 1.2 | 8 | 1.6 | 6.90 |
| 9 | Derby | East Midlands | 275,599 | 5 | 1.8 | 1 | 0.4 | 4 | 1.5 | 4 | 1.5 | 6.38 |
| 10 | Norwich | East of England | 200,752 | 6 | 3.0 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 1.0 | 6.21 |
The data in this table is accurate as of August 2024.
Cardiff ranks 6th, with an overall drive-thru score of [drive-thru score]. The city has a total of 20 drive-thrus, with a total of [McDonald’s drive-thrus]. Cardiff also boasts 3 Burger King, 4 KFC and 5 drive-thrus, meaning drivers in Cardiff have plenty of access to a snack or coffee whilst on the road.
Glasgow ranks first, with 42 drive-thrus across all 4 chains and an overall drive-thru score of 8.62 – the highest in the UK. This city has 20 McDonald’s drive-thrus, the most central being in Finnieston and others in some of the most populated suburbs like Govan and Anniesland. It also has 6 Burger King drive-thrus, and 7 KFC drive-thrus in total. Glasgow has the highest number of Starbucks drive-thrus compared to all the cities this study looked at, with a total of 9.
Kingston upon Hull secures the second position with 16 drive-thrus across all 4 chains and an overall drive-thru score of 7.93. The city has 3 Burger King and Starbucks drive-thrus, as well as 5 McDonald’s and KFC drive-thrus. The outlet that the city has the lowest number of, is McDonald’s, the most common drive-thru chain overall in the UK, with 278 branches, more than in any other city analysed in this study.
Further findings:
- Brighton and Hove has the UK’s fewest drive-thrus – there is 1 McDonald’s outlet and no Burger King, KFC, or Starbucks drive-thrus.
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