Columbia Star

1963        Celebrating 60 Years      2023

Drive-thru etiquette and other helpful hints



Drive-thrus have been in operation since 1947, and people haven’t stopped using them ever since. In fact, during the pandemic, the drive-thru helped many restaurants thrive during a challenging time in the industry.

Restaurants that were able to stay afloat due to drive-thrus and other takeaway options can thank Red’s Giant Hamburg in Missouri for the success of their drive-thru operations. Red’s is generally considered to be the first true drive-thru, according to Money magazine. In 1948, a year after Red’s opened its drive-thru, In-N-Out Burger opened a drive-thru and put to use a state-of-the-art two-way speaker box.

Since the early days of drive-thrus, many different businesses have utilized drive-thru windows. Banking has been streamlined thanks to drive-up ATM machines and drive-thru teller windows. People can pick up vital prescription medications from drive-thrus at their local pharmacies. Drive-thrus at coffee shops keep busy commuters moving and caffeinated.

Visiting drive-thru windows has become second nature, but customers can employ various tactics to make using them go smoothly.

•Cease your mobile phone conversation. As you pull up to the drive-thru speaker while on the phone, end the call or ask the other person to wait a moment. Give your full attention to the person taking your order.

•Know your order. Be sure to ask everyone in the car what they want before getting in line. According to a QSR Magazine study in 2018, the average serving time for the top 10 fast food chains was 234.08 seconds, or roughly four minutes. Transactions are sped up by customers being ready to order when asked and having their means of payment available when the drive to the payment window.

• Visit drive-thrus in the morning or afternoon. The wait for drive-thrus for breakfast and lunch are less lengthy than they are at dinnertime. However, the optimal time of day to go through a drive-thru is mid-afternoon, when average wait times are 173 seconds and service tends to be friendlier.

•Speak loudly and slowly. Drive-thru customers should realize it can be challenging to hear orders over traffic and the rush going on inside the restaurant. Speak clearly, loudly, and slowly when engaging with a drive-thru attendant.

•Don’t add items at the window. Adding items at the payment window after an order has been placed can disrupt the flow of things in the restaurant.

•Sort items outside the drive-thru lane. Do not pass around purchases while in the drive-thru lane or look through the bag and hold up the line. Pull over into a parking lot space and take care of business there.

Drive-thru capabilities have revolutionized certain industries. Customers can do their part to make the experience even better.

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