McDonald's used the name “Drive-Thru” for its 1975 restaurant concept designed for customers to order without leaving their cars.
The first McDonald's drive-through opened in Sierra Vista, Arizona, in 1975. The location served nearby military personnel who could not leave their vehicles while wearing certain uniforms, giving the format a practical local purpose as well as a business opportunity.
The drive-through was different from the earlier drive-in model. Drive-in restaurants typically involved parking and receiving service at the vehicle, while a drive-through used a dedicated lane, ordering point, payment station, and pickup window. McDonald's later made the format a central part of its operating identity.
The concept became one of the most important physical expressions of McDonald's convenience branding. It connected the restaurant's early emphasis on speed with the increasingly car-based routines of its customers.