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For the 2007 film, see Drive-Thru (film). For the Tenacious D song, see Tenacious D (album). For the auto-racing penalty, see Drive-through (auto racing). For the SpongeBob SquarePants episode, see SpongeBob SquarePants (season 8).
McDonald's drive-through windows in the UK.
Drive-through mailboxes in USA.

A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was pioneered in the United States in the 1930s by Jordan Martin,[1] but has since spread to other countries. The first recorded use of a bank using a drive-up window teller was the Grand National Bank of St. Louis, Missouri in 1930. The drive-up teller allowed only deposits at that time.[2]







A typical Australian McDonald's drive-through with speaker.
The intercom and menus at a British McDonald's restaurant.

A drive-through restaurant generally consists of:

  • A speaker and microphone for customers to place their orders
  • Newer drive-throughs feature a LCD or LED display within the speaker system in order to show the full order and total cost to avert order errors through miscommunication. At many Brands of restaurants, a secondary display featuring the total is placed directly next to the order window. This is to ensure that the customer will know if the cashier intentionally overcharges them.
A drive-through only Tim Hortons location in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada


According to author Michael Karl Witzel, drive-through windows were a method first tested as far back as 1931 by the Texas Pig Stand chain. The first drive-through restaurant was created in 1947 by Sheldon "Red" Chaney, operator of Red's Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri. Located on the famous Route 66, the restaurant served customers until its closure in 1984. Several other companies lay claim to having invented the first restaurant of this kind, including the In-n-Out Burger chain, which didn't open a drive-through until 1948. Maid-Rite also claims to have had the first drive-through window. Other sources cite Jack in the Box as the first major restaurant specifically designed as a drive-through and featuring a two-way intercom.[5] The first Jack in the Box opened in 1951 in San Diego. The drive-through concept was so unfamiliar to people at the time that the Jack in the Box "clown," where the speaker was housed, held a sign saying, "Pull forward, Jack will speak to you."



Sierra Vista, Arizona, was the first city to have a McDonald's drive-through. The first McDonald's drive-through was created in 1975 near Fort Huachuca, a military installation located adjacent to the city—to serve military members who weren't permitted to get out of their cars while wearing fatigues.[6] The original McDonald's was closed down and demolished in May 1999 and a new McDonald's replaced it.

In 2010, the Casa Linda, Texas, franchise opened a drive-through/walk-up only store with no indoor seating although it has small patio with tables.[7] The same company operates a walk-up only store front next to the West End Station of DART Rail.[8]



In the Netherlands, Germany, The United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Italy and other northern European countries, McDonald's drive-through service is called McDrive.


Max burger[edit]

1981 Max Hamburgers opens Northern Europe's first drive-in in Piteå.[10]





Grocery shopping[edit]

Some supermarkets offer drive-through facilities for grocery shopping. In the UK, this service was first announced by Tesco in August 2010.[13] And in the United States, Crafty's Drive-Buy Grocery Store in Virginia started offering the service. In 2012, the Dutch chain Albert Heijn introduced a 'Pick Up Point' where one can collect groceries you bought online.[14]

Non-car usage[edit]


On 20 July 2013, a woman was fined for taking her horse inside a McDonald's restaurant in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom after being refused service at the drive-through. The horse ended up defecating inside the restaurant which caused distress to other customers.[19]

Walk-up windows[edit]

McDonald's walk-up window (left) at a location in New York City

Some establishments provide a walk-up window instead when a drive-through may not be practical. However, the walk-up windows should not be confused with small establishments that customers are lined up for services such as mobile kitchens, kiosks or concession stands. These walk-up windows are value-added services on top of the full services provided inside the stores.[20]

The walk-up windows generally provide similar customer experience with the drive-throughs by allowing customers to receive services from the exterior of the facilities through a window. There are many reasons for the owners to provide such services. An example is when McDonald's entered a new market in Russia where the majority of families didn't own cars, the owners developed the walk-up windows as an alternative.[21] Another reason is to have a drive-through experience in the locations that are not feasible to construct a drive-through lane such as in city centers. Some establishments may want to use walk-up windows to attract certain customer demographics such as younger customers who need quick services during late night.[20] Also another reason is to offer extended service hours and maintain a safe environment for employees such as a bulletproof walk-up window of convenience stores in high-crime areas.[22]


McDonald's first opened a ski-through called 'McSki in Sweden's ski resort of Lindvallen in 1996.[23]

See also[edit]

The Cleveland Public Library's drive-up service window


  9. ^ First Drive-through in Europe in Nutgrove, Dublin, Ireland.
  10. ^
  12. ^ Ulster Bank drive-though banking history
  20. ^ a b Luna, Taryn (19 December 2013). "McDonald's walk-up window to offer 24-hour service". Boston Globe. Retrieved 8 May 2014. 
  21. ^ Hoskisson, Michael A. Hitt, R. Duane Ireland, Robert E. (2013). Strategic management : competitiveness & globalization. (10th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. pp. 212–213. ISBN 978-1133495239. 
  22. ^ "ABC Board Shutters Calera Package Store "Drive-Through"". The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (Press Release). 14 February 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014. 
  23. ^ "The 14 craziest McDonald's around the world". 

External links[edit]