How The US Army Inspired The First McDonald's Drive-Thru

It's hard to imagine a McDonald's restaurant without a drive-thru window, but before 1975 that was the reality. McDonald's isn't necessarily known for being a trendsetter. It wasn't even the first fast food company to introduce French fries to its menu. That honor actually goes to White Castle. Similarly, McDonald's was late to the game when it came to giving customers the opportunity to order food from the comfort of their car. Red's Giant Hamburg, located along Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, opened the world's first fast food drive-thru in 1947. Soon after, the California chain In & Out Burger introduced them.

With California being the birthplace of fast food, thanks in part to its early adoption of car culture, it wasn't long before other restaurants in the state installed the new convenience. Still, McDonald's held out. By the early 1970s, regional managers were clamoring for a drive-thru of their own. Corporate higher ups finally got around to looking into the idea. Meanwhile, in Sierra Vista, Arizona, David Rich was losing business at his McDonald's restaurant located near the U.S. Army base Fort Huachuca. The soldiers weren't allowed to be in public while in uniform due to a policy about military decorum. But, if, for instance, they could stay in their vehicle while ordering a burger and fries, that would change the game for Rich. So, he did something about it.

In January 1975, David Rich bumped out one of the walls at his restaurant, put in a small sliding glass window, and created McDonald's first drive-thru. It was a huge hit. "It was a big thing in a small town," LeAnn Richards, who bought the franchise in 1989, told The Arizona Republic. "Soldiers are still a very important part of our business." Not long afterwards, an Oklahoma City McDonald's introduced a much fancier version than the Arizona original. It was a columned, hanging-garden themed drive-thru with a roof big enough to cover two cars (and these were 1970s gas guzzlers). It also featured a life-sized Ronald McDonald figure from which you could place your order.

It wasn't long before a drive-thru became a standard feature at McDonald's restaurants, but that doesn't mean it was universally embraced. Some cities have banned drive-thrus since they can cause traffic problems, among other issues. Considering that today about 70% of McDonald's sales come from its drive-thrus, it was a smart (if slow) business move that would have taken even longer if not for the U.S. Army and its rules on decorum.