Ever wondered where the concept of drive-thru came from?
While we’d love to take credit the wonderfully convenient concept, drive-thru actually dates all the way back to 1947… and that was a little before our time!
But how did it start? Well, with World War II still in the air, carhop service for drive-up restaurants serving burgers and other fast-ish food was taking America by storm. But it wasn’t until 1947 that the first drive-thru opened at Red’s Giant Hamburger on Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri. However, Red’s closed three decades later, so the longest-running drive-thru is the original In-N Out Burger which opened in 1948 in Los Angeles. And yes, it was based on the unique concept of a drive-thru hamburger stand using a (then) state-of-the-art two-way speaker box.
It took a few more years after that for the first drive-thru chain to open, and in 1951Jack in the Box, another California-born concept created to take advantage of the burgeoning car culture was born. The original Jack in the Box was in San Diego and was drive-thru-only, offering motorists hamburgers to go for 18 cents each. While most Jack in the Boxes now also have indoor dining areas, roughly 85% of the orders at its 2,250 locations are either drive-thru or to-go. Jack in the Box is also credited with creating a rather self-serving fake marketing holiday, National Drive-Thru Day, which is celebrated every July 24. But hey, credit to them for celebrating what they do best!
These days, drive-thru is the future of anything. People no longer have the time or inclination to park cars, walk to their destination, stand in queues, get the children out the car seat and walk back through the rain to get to their cars. Unless it’s a special occasion, it’s a thing of the past and convenience is now king!
Enter us, The Fast Lane Drive-Thru Coffee, which was born from the concept of quality and convenience – and we’re now working on a BIG expansion. Franchisee ready across Australia, if you’re ready to invest in your family, future and happiness we’d love to chat. After all, you spend most of the week in the workplace, so it makes complete sense to want that workplace to be fulfilling, exciting, flexible and most importantly, your own. That’s what The Fast Lane Drive-Thru Coffee offers – and all from a drive-thru window!
Now… to invent a national holiday for us too…
