The first McDonald’s drive-through opened in Arizona, at a restaurant in Sierra Vista, in 1975. The location was near Fort Huachuca, a U.S. Army installation.
Franchisee David Rich added a simple sliding service window after soldiers from the nearby base were discouraged from leaving their vehicles while wearing military fatigues. The arrangement allowed them to order and collect food without entering the restaurant. The drive-through opened on January 24, 1975.
The innovation quickly spread because it made McDonald’s more convenient for motorists and helped restaurants serve customers faster. The original Sierra Vista building was demolished in 1999, but the site remains associated with the invention, and the original window was preserved at the Henry F. Hauser Museum.
This Arizona location is sometimes confused with an earlier McDonald’s drive-through plan in Oklahoma City. That project was delayed, while Sierra Vista became the first operating McDonald’s drive-through.