RALEIGH — Among other things, COVID 19 has pushed many to indulge their cravings for fast food.
In fact, trips to the local drive-thru have jumped by more than 60 percent from pre-pandemic levels, according to data company MX, which analyzed data from more than 10 million consumers from the early days of the pandemic through July.
The top fast food restaurants in North Carolina?
1. McDonald’s
2. Chick-fil-A
3. Bojangles
The results are mostly in keeping with the nation’s preferences.
McDonald’s proved to be the most loved fast service, with 43 states heading for those golden arches more than any other fast food restaurant. Along with Mickey D’s, Chick-Fil-A and Taco Bell rounded out the overall top 3 list, being among the most popular in 24 and 22 states, respectively.
The report comes on the same day that McDonald’s announced it is permanently closing 200 of its 14,000 U.S. locations this year. “Low-volume restaurants” in Walmart stores making up over half of the closures.
During its quarterly earnings call Tuesday, USA Today reported that the fast food giant said the closings were previously planned for future years but are being accelerated. Officials also shared the continued impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on sales globally.
“Within a matter of weeks, the McDonald’s system made operational modifications across 30,000 restaurants, while closing and then reopening another 9,000 restaurants,” CEO Chris Kempczinski was quoted as saying. “We introduced new safety procedures in all our restaurants, modified our menus and developed new contactless ways to serve our customers.”
