California city plots major change to fast food restaurants that will infuriate customers

A California city could soon make drive-thru dining a thing of the past.

Culver City officials are considering a citywide ban on new drive-thrus after neighbors raised alarms over a proposed new In-N-Out they say could worsen traffic, hurt air quality and create dangers for pedestrians and cyclists, according to LAist.

The City Council passed a 45-day moratorium in June blocking permits for new drive-thrus while staffers drafted a potential ban, the outlet reported.

If approved, the ordinance would not affect the city’s eight existing drive-thrus — only new ones.

The fight comes as In-N-Out eyes what would be Culver City’s first new drive-thru since 1997, according to a city staff report.

The proposed burger joint would include 61 parking spaces and a drive-thru lane that could hold 26 vehicles, according to a site plan.

Opponents have blasted the plan as a “mega drive-thru,” arguing it would jam nearby streets and clash with the city’s push for more walkable and bike-friendly neighborhoods.

“Density is inevitable, and development is inevitable,” resident Vanessa Martin, who is organizing support for the ban, told LAist. “We want to be proactive and smart about it.”

Councilmember Bubba Fish said drive-thrus are “the antithesis” of the safer, more walkable streets Culver City wants to build.

But restaurant industry leaders warn the proposal could hammer fast-food businesses and frustrate customers.

Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Association, called drive-thru bans “shortsighted.”

“You’re essentially banning quick-service restaurants without specifically stating that,” Condie told LAist.

Roughly 70% of all fast food sales come from drive-thru orders, according to the American Planning Association.

Critics of bans also say drive-thrus are important for people with disabilities, parents with young children and customers who may have a harder time going inside.

Fish said he understands those concerns but argued the city could improve accessibility through walk-up windows, more handicap parking and other services.

Drive-thru bans are not unheard of in California.

Culver City already bans them in its downtown, while Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo have had citywide bans for decades, according to LAist.

The proposed Culver City ban ordinance will go before the planning commission before heading back to the City Council for a final vote.

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