McDonald’s
introduced the drive-thru to fast food service in general use at one of its stores in Arizona in
1975. The McDonald’s in question was based two miles away from a military base and McDonald’s
corporate expected that a good portion of the store's income would come from the
base. However, soldiers at the base weren’t rarely using the store. A little research
determined that military personnel weren’t allowed (at that time) off the base
wearing their uniforms….hence the birth of the drive-thru which allowed the soldiers
to use McDonald’s while they stayed in the car.
To be clear, McDonald's didn't introduce the first drive-thru. That honor goes to Kirby's Pig Stand which introduced the drive-in restaurant in 1931.