Which McDonald’s restaurant first used the modern drive-through concept in 1975?

The McDonald’s restaurant in Sierra Vista, Arizona, first used the company’s modern drive-through concept in 1975.

The location introduced a drive-through window designed to serve customers without requiring them to enter the restaurant. The idea was especially useful near Fort Huachuca, where military personnel had limited time and sometimes could not leave their vehicles in uniform.

The Sierra Vista location is often confused with early McDonald’s landmarks in California and Illinois. San Bernardino was the site of the original McDonald brothers’ restaurant, while Des Plaines is associated with the reconstructed first McDonald’s franchise museum. Downey is home to the oldest surviving McDonald’s restaurant building.

Drive-through service later became a major part of McDonald’s visual and operational identity. Menus, signs, lane markings, speaker systems, and dedicated windows all extended the brand into the parking area. The 1975 Sierra Vista opening was therefore both an operations milestone and an important development in how customers encountered McDonald’s branding.