What Percent of Fast Food Sales Happen at Drive-Throughs?

About 70 percent of fast food sales in the United States happen through the drive-through window, which translates to more than $117 billion US Dollars (USD) a year. The U.S. fast food industry in general makes about $168 billion USD a year, or about $1 million-$3 million per restaurant. That's a 28-fold increase since the 1970s, when fast food sales made about $6 billion USD a year. In Europe, things are almost completely opposite — about 75 percent of fast food sales in Europe are from in-restaurant orders.

More facts about fast food sales:

• Globally, there are more than 80 billion fast food transactions a year.


• Yum! Brands, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, makes about 30 percent of its profits in China, and the fast food industry in India is growing at a rate of about 40 percent a year.


• Despite high sales, the annual employee turnover rate in the fast food industry in the U.S. is generally between 75 and 150 percent.