We might not think twice about it today. It’s just an everyday thing. You might stop by the drive-thru on your way to work for your morning Joe, you might go through during your lunch break, or rushing home for dinner. For many, the drive-thru can be a convenient option regardless of the time of day. So how did this awesome invention that keeps the world turning come to be?
In fact, this was such an important invention for America that there is even a National Drive-Thru day. Ok, well, not really. Jack in the Box kind of created the fake holiday, yet that doesn’t stop them from celebrating it every July 24th.
So who invented the first drive thru?
Nope. It wasn’t McDonald’s. That seems to be a common guess. The first drive-thru opened in 1947. I know! It seems like a long time ago, but drive-in movie theaters were a thing even before that. Some of the first drive-in theaters began even before World War II and some early versions of it established around 1915 or 16. In fact, one of the earliest iterations of a drive-thru cinema happened right next door in Las Cruces with the Theater de Guadalupe, which opened in April 1915. By the World War II era, the carhop service for drive-up restaurants was not uncommon. We see this frequently in films set in the ’50s and ’60s and the popularity of the drive-in, much like Sonic restaurants continues to be today—minus the fancier technology and buttons. So the concept of driving your car for your food was already in the works. This was because after the war there was a growing car culture in America, as the highway systems began connecting the country and car manufacturers enjoyed a burgeoning market.
So in 1947, Red’s Giant Hamburg on Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, the first drive-thru opened up. The original In-N-Out-Burger opened up its drive-thru in 1948 and stood much longer than Reds, which makes it one of the longest standing drive-thrus. It was not long after that Jack in the Box, seeing the potential, opened the drive-thru only restaurant that offered motorists hamburgers for 18 cents a pop. What a deal! Other fast-food chains—which were just getting started—soon followed suit. Yet, McDonald’s didn’t have one until the mid-seventies.
Built For Ordering — Helping Drivers Decide What They Want
Aside from convenience, of course—which is a plus in today’s day and age—the drive-thru is also designed to upsell customers, advertise specials, and convince them to go for that extra or new item on the menu. The drive-thru design is created to help a customer’s decision-making process. Large menu screens and professionally photographed food items are arranged and placed in a way that stands out to people and helps them with their decisions. Combo orders are generally placed in the middle, as that is where the customer’s eyes go first.
A Drive-Thru for the Caffeine Fix
Eventually, drive-thrus spread to more than fast food and have now become almost a necessity for many early morning commuters. Whether they are rushing to the office or school, that morning cup and oh-why-not-pastry have become part of so many people’s morning routines. Even though Starbucks, and most coffee shops, were known as a sit-down and enjoy the brew type places, they have come to realize that today’s culture is up and running most of the time. It’s why in 2018, Starbucks announced that they were planning on including a drive-thru in 80 percent of their locations. The large coffee chain began seeing an opening in reaching customers through remote locations or on-the-go spots.
What Drive-Thrus Say About Us
People tend to choose drive-thrus for the convenience but many times it requires the same—if not longer—wait times. Yet, restaurants take advantage of this waiting in line to show customers their many ordering options and get them to look at the new specials. Many restaurants, however, have chosen to stay away from the drive-thru model, claiming that it would ruin the experience of going into the restaurant, meeting and greeting employees, and even seeing the fresh ingredients face-to-face. One such restaurant is Chipotle, but Subway has chosen to go the drive-thru route. In the end, drive-thrus simply mean that America loves its cars, convenience, and fast food.
The Importance of a Well-Cleaned Drive-Thru
And just like anything in the service industry, there is nothing that does not go unnoticed. Image is everything. Impressions last forever. For customers, the state of their drive-thru makes an impression on what they think of the restaurant and the service. And yet with many vehicles and traffic going through, drive-thru lanes are known to get grimy and oily. It’s why El Paso Cleaning Solutions is here to serve! We know the importance of a professional and clean looking lane, so we want to help you keep in that way in a fast and convenient way. Our power washing services are designed to get the job done quickly and efficiently without much interruption to business hours or customers.
Call El Paso Cleaning Solutions and Solve Your Grime Problems
So whether it is a drive-thru lane or other parts of your restaurants you need to keep clean. Give El Paso Cleaning Solutions a call. Keep your facilities looking good with professional cleaning services.
