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Foodie Drive-Thru Destinations
Updated: Thursday, 29 August 2024
Which UK cities have the most drive-thrus?
Drive-thrus have become increasingly popular in the UK, offering a convenient option for quick meals without leaving the comfort of your car. They’re most often associated with fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s and KFC, but coffee shops like Starbucks have also adopted them. This variety in drive-thru options is particularly beneficial for drivers on the go, including those with bad credit car finance.
But where are the best cities in the UK for drive-thru variety? To find out, we’ve analysed the number of drive-thrus at McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, and Starbucks and compared them to the population in each of the country’s biggest cities.
The cities with the most drive-thrus per person
1. Glasgow, Scotland, drive-thru density score: 8.62/10
Glasgow ranks first, with 6.8 drive-thrus per 100,000 people across the 4 drive-thru chains this study looked into. It has 20 McDonald’s drive-thrus (3.2 per 100,000 people), the most central being in Finnieston and others in some of the city’s most populated suburbs like Govan, Anniesland, and Springburn. It also has 1 Burger King drive-thru per 100,000 people and 6 in total, and 1.1 KFC drive-thrus per 100,000 people and 7 in total.
Glasgow also has the highest number of Starbucks locations out of the top 10 cities with the most drive-thrus, with 9. This works out at 1.5 for every 100,000 people.
2. Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire & the Humber, drive-thru density score: 7.93/10
Kingston upon Hull secures the second position with a drive-thru score of 7.93. The city has many Burger King drive-thrus, with 1.1 per 100,000 people and 3 in total. 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.
3. Milton Keynes, South East & Aberdeen, Scotland, drive-thru density score: 7.76/10
2 cities are tied for third place: Milton Keynes and Aberdeen, scoring 7.76 out of 10. While Milton Keynes stands out for its 4.1 McDonald’s drive-thrus per 100,000 people, Aberdeen has a higher number of Burger King drive-thrus at 1.6 per 100,000 people and Starbucks drive-thrus, with 2.1 outlets per 100,000 people.
The UK areas with the fewest drive-thrus per person
We looked at the areas with the fewest drive-thrus per 100,000 people to determine which areas of the country have the least drive-thrus.
1. Brighton and Hove, South East, drive-thru density score: 0.00/10
Brighton and Hove has the fewest drive-thrus per 100,000 people – there is 1 McDonald’s outlet and no Burger King, KFC, or Starbucks drive-thrus. This means there are only 0.4 drive-thrus per 100,000 people.
2. London, drive-thru density score: 1.29/10
Although London has 100 drive-thrus in total for these four chains, it has some of the lowest numbers per population. There are 67 McDonald’s drive-thrus, which works out at just 0.8 per 100,000 people, 16 KFC outlets (0.2 per 100,000 people), 11 Burger Kings (0.1 per 100,000 people), and 6 Starbucks (0.1 per 100,000 people).
3. Newcastle upon Tyne, North East, drive-thru density score: 1.47/10
Rounding out the top 3 locations with the fewest drive-thrus is Newcastle upon Tyne. The city only has McDonald’s and Starbucks drive-thrus, and even these are few. There are 1.7 McDonald’s outlets per 100,000 people and only 0.3 Starbucks drive-thrus.
The best cities for every drive-thru chain
We looked at the areas with the highest number of branches of every drive-thru chain, per 100,000 people, to determine the most popular cities for every fast food chain.
The city with the most McDonald’s drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Milton Keynes, number of drive-thrus: 4.1 per 100,000 people
Milton Keynes, in Buckinghamshire, has 8 McDonald’s drive-thrus, with 4.1 per 100,000 people, more than anywhere else in the UK. This includes 1 in the city centre near the Marshall Arena and 1 at the Kingston shopping centre, among others.
The city with the most Burger King drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Aberdeen, number of drive-thrus: 1.6 per 100,000 people
Aberdeen is the best city for Burger King drive-thrus, with 1.6 per 100,000 people. There are 3 outlets in Granite City, located at Queens Links Leisure Park and Centrepoint Retail Park, and 1 further out of the city, in Altens.
The city with the most KFC drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Nottingham, number of drive-thrus: 2.3 per 100,000 people
Nottingham, in the East Midlands, has more KFC drive-thrus per capita than any other city, with 2.3 per 100,000 people. There are 7 overall, with notable locations such as Clifton Lane, conveniently situated near a university. There are also KFC drive-thrus at places such as Cross Street Retail Park and Daleside Road.
The city with the most Starbucks drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Aberdeen, number of drive-thrus: 2.1 per 100,000 people
As well as having the most Burger King drive-thrus per person, Aberdeen also has more Starbucks drive-thrus than anywhere else, with 2.1 per 100,000 people. That’s 4 in total, including one at Bridge of Don, on Ellon Road, a major road to the northern parts of the city, and another in Altens, to the city’s south.
Methodology
The data in this study is accurate as of August 2024.
We considered the number of drive-thru restaurants for McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC and Starbucks.
The number of outlets for each was sourced from the store locator on their website:
For each brand, we counted the number of drive-thru outlets that included the city’s name in either the restaurant name or its address.
For example, if a McDonald’s outlet was listed as ‘Birmingham – Small Heath’ or had an address such as ‘152 Holyhead Road, Birmingham’, it was included in the tally for Birmingham. If the restaurant name and address used a suburb rather than the city’s name, we manually checked the restaurant’s postcode to confirm its location in the city.
Once we had the total number of drive-thrus in each city, we calculated this per 100,000 people using the population for the built-up area, according to City Population.
Finally, we gave each city a normalised score out of 10 based on the number of restaurants per 100,000 people for each brand and took an average of these.
Which UK cities have the most drive-thrus?
Drive-thrus have become increasingly popular in the UK, offering a convenient option for quick meals without leaving the comfort of your car. They’re most often associated with fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s and KFC, but coffee shops like Starbucks have also adopted them. This variety in drive-thru options is particularly beneficial for drivers on the go, including those with bad credit car finance.
But where are the best cities in the UK for drive-thru variety? To find out, we’ve analysed the number of drive-thrus at McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, and Starbucks and compared them to the population in each of the country’s biggest cities.
The cities with the most drive-thrus per person
1. Glasgow, Scotland, drive-thru density score: 8.62/10
Glasgow ranks first, with 6.8 drive-thrus per 100,000 people across the 4 drive-thru chains this study looked into. It has 20 McDonald’s drive-thrus (3.2 per 100,000 people), the most central being in Finnieston and others in some of the city’s most populated suburbs like Govan, Anniesland, and Springburn. It also has 1 Burger King drive-thru per 100,000 people and 6 in total, and 1.1 KFC drive-thrus per 100,000 people and 7 in total.
Glasgow also has the highest number of Starbucks locations out of the top 10 cities with the most drive-thrus, with 9. This works out at 1.5 for every 100,000 people.
2. Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire & the Humber, drive-thru density score: 7.93/10
Kingston upon Hull secures the second position with a drive-thru score of 7.93. The city has many Burger King drive-thrus, with 1.1 per 100,000 people and 3 in total. 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.
3. Milton Keynes, South East & Aberdeen, Scotland, drive-thru density score: 7.76/10
2 cities are tied for third place: Milton Keynes and Aberdeen, scoring 7.76 out of 10. While Milton Keynes stands out for its 4.1 McDonald’s drive-thrus per 100,000 people, Aberdeen has a higher number of Burger King drive-thrus at 1.6 per 100,000 people and Starbucks drive-thrus, with 2.1 outlets per 100,000 people.
The UK areas with the fewest drive-thrus per person
We looked at the areas with the fewest drive-thrus per 100,000 people to determine which areas of the country have the least drive-thrus.
1. Brighton and Hove, South East, drive-thru density score: 0.00/10
Brighton and Hove has the fewest drive-thrus per 100,000 people – there is 1 McDonald’s outlet and no Burger King, KFC, or Starbucks drive-thrus. This means there are only 0.4 drive-thrus per 100,000 people.
2. London, drive-thru density score: 1.29/10
Although London has 100 drive-thrus in total for these four chains, it has some of the lowest numbers per population. There are 67 McDonald’s drive-thrus, which works out at just 0.8 per 100,000 people, 16 KFC outlets (0.2 per 100,000 people), 11 Burger Kings (0.1 per 100,000 people), and 6 Starbucks (0.1 per 100,000 people).
3. Newcastle upon Tyne, North East, drive-thru density score: 1.47/10
Rounding out the top 3 locations with the fewest drive-thrus is Newcastle upon Tyne. The city only has McDonald’s and Starbucks drive-thrus, and even these are few. There are 1.7 McDonald’s outlets per 100,000 people and only 0.3 Starbucks drive-thrus.
The best cities for every drive-thru chain
We looked at the areas with the highest number of branches of every drive-thru chain, per 100,000 people, to determine the most popular cities for every fast food chain.
The city with the most McDonald’s drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Milton Keynes, number of drive-thrus: 4.1 per 100,000 people
Milton Keynes, in Buckinghamshire, has 8 McDonald’s drive-thrus, with 4.1 per 100,000 people, more than anywhere else in the UK. This includes 1 in the city centre near the Marshall Arena and 1 at the Kingston shopping centre, among others.
The city with the most Burger King drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Aberdeen, number of drive-thrus: 1.6 per 100,000 people
Aberdeen is the best city for Burger King drive-thrus, with 1.6 per 100,000 people. There are 3 outlets in Granite City, located at Queens Links Leisure Park and Centrepoint Retail Park, and 1 further out of the city, in Altens.
The city with the most KFC drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Nottingham, number of drive-thrus: 2.3 per 100,000 people
Nottingham, in the East Midlands, has more KFC drive-thrus per capita than any other city, with 2.3 per 100,000 people. There are 7 overall, with notable locations such as Clifton Lane, conveniently situated near a university. There are also KFC drive-thrus at places such as Cross Street Retail Park and Daleside Road.
The city with the most Starbucks drive-thrus per 100,000 people
Aberdeen, number of drive-thrus: 2.1 per 100,000 people
As well as having the most Burger King drive-thrus per person, Aberdeen also has more Starbucks drive-thrus than anywhere else, with 2.1 per 100,000 people. That’s 4 in total, including one at Bridge of Don, on Ellon Road, a major road to the northern parts of the city, and another in Altens, to the city’s south.
Methodology
The data in this study is accurate as of August 2024.
We considered the number of drive-thru restaurants for McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC and Starbucks.
The number of outlets for each was sourced from the store locator on their website:
For each brand, we counted the number of drive-thru outlets that included the city’s name in either the restaurant name or its address.
For example, if a McDonald’s outlet was listed as ‘Birmingham – Small Heath’ or had an address such as ‘152 Holyhead Road, Birmingham’, it was included in the tally for Birmingham. If the restaurant name and address used a suburb rather than the city’s name, we manually checked the restaurant’s postcode to confirm its location in the city.
Once we had the total number of drive-thrus in each city, we calculated this per 100,000 people using the population for the built-up area, according to City Population.
Finally, we gave each city a normalised score out of 10 based on the number of restaurants per 100,000 people for each brand and took an average of these.
For a better road ahead
Moneybarn is a member of the Finance and Leasing Association, the official trade organisation of the motor finance industry. The FLA promotes best practice in the motor finance industry for lending and leasing to consumers and businesses.
Moneybarn is the trading style of Moneybarn No. 1 Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 04496573, and Moneybarn Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 02766324. The registered address for these companies is: Athena House, Bedford Road, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3LJ.
Moneybarn’s VAT registration number is 180 5559 52.
Moneybarn Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services reference No. 702781)
Moneybarn No. 1 Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services reference No. 702780)
