Others restaurants tried it, yes, but for McDonalds it all started in 1975 in Arizona.

Seems like it should be much longer. That’s close to my age and I can remember going through through McDs drive throughs as a kid just a few years later in another state.

Anyone remember a drive through opening?

I do recall a new McDs opening in another town about 1980 and that it was a big deal with a week full of events, giveaways, and Ronald, but nothing specific concerning a drive through other than it was built with one.

I am familiar with the first McDonalds in Des Plaines, Illinois. We used to cruise the parking lots and I do not remember a drive through in my high school years. The Dog and Suds had girls on roller skates and brought the food to your car.

Wikipedia says I am wrong. I can see why I was confused. Here is the explanation:

Kroc's 1955 McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, the ninth in the chain, was demolished in 1984, but a replica was built on the original foundation and is now described as the McDonald's No. 1 Store Museum. It was torn down, with the sign removed in January 2018

I was stationed at Fort Huachuca when the first drive through was opened in Sierra Vista (the adjacent town). It was heavily advertised and everyone who used the drive through that day (I didn’t) got a bumper sticker with “I made history ….” As I recall, McDonald’s was one of the last major fast food chains of the era to offer drive through ordering.

1975 sounds about right. I'm still waiting in line for an "All American" (hamburger, fries, milk shake for 50-cents).

I remember when the MC Donald's in the town I lived in did not open till 11AM and closed I think around 8PM. This was before they served breakfast.
Now most are open 24 hours a day.

quote:

Anyone remember a drive through opening?

Boise McD 1961ish.
I was there, with the 24 cent burger/fries/soda.

I recall the McDonalds in Des Plaines in the 1950's. As I remember the burger was 15 cents, fries were 12 cents and shakes were 20 cents. You could get three burgers, two fries and a shake and change back from your dollar. Of course I was working in a gas station for one dollar an hour.

They built one across the street from one of the high schools I attended in about 1964. That was in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. It was an immediate hit and I imagine the school lunch program had massive layoffs. 2 cheeseburgers, fries and a coke for about $0,50.

I remember going to the Jack in The Box in San Diego back in 1960.

It had a big Box, with the clown on a spring (like a large auto suspension coil).

In the late 50s, in Fresno, California would stop for lunch at McDonald's after going to church. With milkshakes, french fries and a hamburger for all five of us, we would drive away happy drive away happy. At least until someone got a french fry on the seat and dad would go ballistic. I think the hamburgers were 10 cents a piece.

I remember the first McDonald's in Syracuse on Erie Blvd. This around 1955 or so. No drive through obviously but still....

McDonalds. What a Kroc...

I remember when my town only had one McDonalds. And a Burger Chef. And a Burger Queen.

I remember when McDonalds focused on making fast, cheap food with a basic menu. They had fantastic fries, fried in oil rich in trans-fats. You could grab a sandwich and fries for 2 bucks and be on your way in no time.

These days they're trying to be the burger joint counterpart of starbucks. The crisp tasty fries are gone, as are the cheap prices. They've altered their menu to try and appeal to the woke and health conscious, while still serving the same artificially manufactured ingredients, still baked under a heat lamp. It takes 30 minutes to get through the drive-through line because everybody in front of you has to customize their order to the nth degree, and make sure it adheres to their gluten-free vegan paleo diet, or whatever.

I never went to McDonald's for their quality, healthy food. I went there because I could order a double cheeseburger and a large fry from their simple menu, and be out of there in 2 minutes for $2. I knew darn well that it was probably going to make me fat and kill me, and I didn't care. I kind of want to start a restaurant like that..."This is our menu, it'll probably all give you cancer. Order something off of it, that's how it comes. If you don't like it then piss off." I probably wouldn't stay in business long, but I'll bet there's still a blue-collar demographic out there who would appreciate it .

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I am familiar with the first McDonalds in Des Plaines, Illinois. We used to cruise the parking lots and I do not remember a drive through in my high school years. The Dog and Suds had girls on roller skates and brought the food to your car.

Great memories.

I grew up in Chicago's south suburbs. I remember as kids we used to keep an eye on the McDonald's on Sibley Blvd to see if the 'number of burgers sold' on their sign had gone up. Back then, it was *only* in the millions.

As far as Dog n Suds, there was one near us, also on Sibley Blvd. A couple of my buddies worked there. That was where we hung out in high school - and where we fell in love with those girls bringing the trays to the cars.

I definitely remember playing in their astroturf prison yard with lots of steel equipment you could get your head stuck in and spring mounted ride on thing you could get rocking until they touched the ground.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
I remember when my town only had one McDonalds. And a Burger Chef. And a Burger Queen.

We used to tear up some Burger Chef, over here in WV, in my childhood.

My wife and her former husband were living in early '70s Miami where she taught school & he sold advertising for the Miami Herald. One of his best advertising clients was a local McD franchise holder. Husband saw that the MickyD guy was killing it and thought "Let's get a McDonald's franchise" and they did in 1978. Made them millionaires.

In 2017 their stock was about $120 a share. I bought a little. Now it is about $220 a share. I sure wish I had bought a lot in 2017 instead of a little! Not a bad increase in less than four years.

When I was in high school in the Midwest in the 60's the McDonald's was the hangout place with a constant stream of "cruisers" on Friday and Saturday nights. The parking lot was always full and if you wanted to hang out you had to get there early. They had security who would make you leave if you didn't buy anything so everybody had at least a drink on the dash to keep their spot. If you got a good spot you could ogle the girls as they went up to the walkup window. I can remember 15 cent burgers there and as a teenager working in the hayfields in the summer I could eat a sackful of them. If you wanted curb service you had to go to A&W Rootbeer Stand where the weiner schnitzel sandwich was outstanding, but McDonalds remained the place to go.