McDonald’s opened its first drive-through restaurant in Sierra Vista, Arizona, in 1975.
The restaurant was located near Fort Huachuca, a major United States Army installation. The drive-through was designed partly for soldiers who could not easily leave their vehicles while wearing military clothing and equipment. Customers could order through a service window rather than entering the dining room.
Drive-through service became one of the defining features of fast food, allowing restaurants to serve more customers quickly and conveniently. McDonald’s had already become a major franchised restaurant chain by the 1970s, but the Sierra Vista location helped introduce a format that later became standard across its restaurants. The first drive-through should not be confused with McDonald’s first restaurant, which opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1940, or its first franchised location, opened by Ray Kroc in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.