In the world of fast food, mobile apps may be the most convenient innovation since drive-thrus. They help cut down on wait time, let us avoid rattling off a hyper-specific order in person, and sometimes save us money, too. But all apps aren’t created equal and “Food & Wine” magazine is offering some insight on the ones worth downloading.
- They looked at 12 of the top fast food chain apps to compare them on their approach to navigation, exclusive deals, order updates, overall user experience, and more.
- While they all have some kind of promotion or savings, they found some apps are just better than others. “Turns out, in the fast food app race, some are five-star meals — and others are just reheated leftovers,” the magazine reports.
So, which apps do we need in our lives and on our phones? These are the best, according to “Food & Wine.”
- Best for Loyalty Points and Most Convenient - Wendy’s The app has a clear, modern display that’s user-friendly, and all the offers are shown on the home page. It also gives an impressive 27 options for rewards and offers three options for pickup - walk-in, delivery, and drive-up.
- Best for App-Exclusive Promos - McDonald’s The Golden Arches’ app is easy to navigate and offers a ton of app-exclusive deals, and has a rewards tracker at the top of the menu page.
- Best for Budgeting - Taco Bell They offer all kinds of budget-friendly options and have a dedicated value menu loaded with items under $3. The app also makes it easy to find meat-free options with a “vegetarian only” menu mode.
- Best Status Updates - Starbucks The most popular coffee chain’s app gets points for real-time order tracking, which other apps don’t offer.
- Best for Large Orders - Popeyes The app raters like that the Popeyes app has deals on combo meals and large orders.
Source: Food & Wine⠀