What is Cars Per Hour?
Cars per hour (CPH) measures drive-thru throughput—the number of vehicles a location can serve in 60 minutes. This metric directly reflects operational capacity and revenue potential. Industry averages range from 25-50+ CPH depending on brand, menu complexity, and staffing. Voice AI impacts CPH by improving consistency in order-taking time and eliminating the variance that comes from human fatigue, multitasking, and peak-hour pressure.
CPH is the fundamental capacity metric that determines how much revenue a drive-thru can generate.
Why Cars Per Hour Matters for QSR
Direct Revenue Connection
More cars = more revenue:
- Each additional car per hour compounds daily
- Peak hour capacity often limits daily revenue
- CPH ceiling determines location potential
- Small improvements scale significantly
Capacity Calculation
Revenue impact example:
- Current: 40 CPH during peak
- Improvement: 44 CPH (10% increase)
- 4 extra cars × 4 peak hours × $12 ticket = $192/day
- Annual impact: $70,080 per location
Operational Indicator
CPH reveals:
- Staffing effectiveness
- Process efficiency
- Equipment performance
- Training quality
- System bottlenecks
Calculating Cars Per Hour
Basic Formula
Cars Per Hour = Vehicles served / Time period (hours)
Measurement Methods
Timer systems: Automated vehicle counting, sensor-based tracking, continuous measurement
POS-based: Transactions per hour, order timestamps, drive-thru flagged orders
Manual counts: Peak hour observations, spot checks, audit programs
Cars Per Hour Benchmarks
Performance Levels
| Performance | Single Lane CPH | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 55+ | Top performers |
| Good | 45-55 | Above average |
| Average | 35-45 | Industry typical |
| Below average | 25-35 | Improvement needed |
| Poor | <25 | Significant issues |
By Segment
| Segment | Typical CPH Range |
|---|---|
| Burger QSR | 35-50 |
| Chicken QSR | 30-45 |
| Coffee/beverage | 50-80 |
| Mexican QSR | 30-45 |
| Fast casual | 20-35 |
Components Affecting CPH
Order-Taking Time
Time at speaker:
- Greeting and response
- Order communication
- Modifications and clarifications
- Confirmation and upsell
- Total “menu time”
Service Time
Post-order activities:
- Payment processing
- Food preparation
- Order assembly
- Window handoff
Voice AI and Cars Per Hour
Potential Impact Areas
Voice AI affects order-taking time:
Consistency:
- Same performance all day
- No fatigue-related slowdown
- Reliable peak hour performance
Efficiency:
- Optimized scripts
- Reduced clarification
- Streamlined confirmation
Typical Results
Well-implemented Voice AI:
- Maintains or slightly improves CPH
- Reduces CPH variance
- Improves peak hour performance
- Enables staff reallocation
What Voice AI Can’t Directly Fix
CPH bottlenecks outside AI scope:
- Kitchen preparation speed
- Payment processing time
- Order assembly efficiency
- Physical handoff time
Improving Cars Per Hour
Order-Taking Optimization
Script efficiency:
- Shorter greetings
- Faster confirmation
- Optimized upsell timing
- Reduced clarification
Kitchen Optimization
Preparation speed:
- Predictive cooking
- Parallel assembly
- Equipment maintenance
- Staff deployment
Common Misconceptions About Cars Per Hour
Misconception: “Higher CPH is always the goal.”
Reality: CPH must be balanced with order accuracy, guest experience, and staff capability. Pushing CPH at the expense of quality creates remakes, complaints, and long-term damage.
Misconception: “Voice AI dramatically increases CPH.”
Reality: Voice AI’s primary CPH benefit is consistency, not dramatic speed improvement. Order-taking is only one component of total service time. Expect modest but reliable CPH improvements or maintenance.
Misconception: “CPH is limited by the drive-thru lane.”
Reality: Most CPH limitations come from kitchen capacity, not lane throughput. Improving order-taking speed only helps if the kitchen can keep pace.