First McDonald's drive through

[GON]

Great comments in this thread- fun reading the comments on a Saturday morning.

My addition to the comments- no car seat for the toddler- I too remember those days and never recall being in a car seat.

 

[y_p_w]

Several of the locations from my youth are still there, although it seems like every one that had the traditional gabled roof design has been remodeled to a box shape. And the drive thrus typically came later. I remember my primary location as a kid. Had no drive through until the 80s and the bathrooms were originally accessed from the outside like a lot of gas stations. The place is still there, but the drive thru location is a safety hazard. Cars exit at the sidewalk near a door. So many drivers stop after the window and then go without checking to see if there are pedestrians. I don’t like the drive thru but often park and walk in, where maybe I’ll try to get a driver’s attention before proceeding.

And those were the days. They typically were decorated with fiberglass reliefs of Ronald, Grimace, etc. on the wall. And they had these aluminum ashtrays.

This one (unincorporated area near Mill Valley, California) still has the traditional roof, although it’s missing those white ribs. Spanish tile dominates the area. Even an In-N-Out there has Spanish tile. But that In-N-Out doesn’t have a drive thru, where the county wouldn’t approve one for fear of traffic backups.

 

[Hermann]

The politicians are pushing emissions control and save the Earth type political agendas yet allow drive throughs?

It's because they don't want to get off their butts to go inside.

 

[y_p_w]

I liked their tacos - but they (in Lawrence, Mass.) had absolute worst mystery meat hambugers in the history of hamburgers!

They had to deal with the E Coli scare in the 90s. I liked it when Jumbo Jacks were 99 cents.

Burger King has tacos on and off. On right now. At least around here they’re $1.49 for two. Kind of bizarre too with an American cheese slice. Their previous incarnation used shredded cheese.

 

[Hermann]

The McDonald's of my youth is still standing and operating. Been remodeled a few times but still a fun experience to go visit. A friend from my high school graduating class owns it, and several others. Been in his family for as long as I remember. They still had biscuits and gravy the last time I was there a year ago.

 

[Brian123]

We have a McDonalds that was built back in 1969 and it had a great outside seating area where you could look across the street and see a far with cows. This area was to the left of the store, and in 1983 they turned it into a drive thru.

 

[y_p_w]

It's because they don't want to get off their butts to go inside.

I don’t get why I can often find drive thru lines backed up 50 cars deep when there’s plenty of parking and no lines inside. I do remember when my kid was young and napping in the back. I’d use drive thrus then since I couldn’t leave an infant/toddler in my car and waking up was not a good option.

 

[y_p_w]

We have a McDonalds that was built back in 1969 and it had a great outside seating area where you could look across the street and see a far with cows. This area was to the left of the store, and in 1983 they turned it into a drive thru.

A lot of fast food joints around here still have outdoor seating. Heck, there are some Wienerschnitzels around here with what look like the original 1960s tables and their A frames. There’s also a DQ that I’ve been to where ordering is from a window and the the only seating is outdoors.

 

[Brian123]

A lot of fast food joints around here still have outdoor seating. Heck, there are some Wienerschnitzels around here with what look like the original 1960s tables and their A frames. There’s also a DQ that I’ve been to where ordering is from a window and the the only seating is outdoors.

They did put a small outdoor seating area out front but it got smaller when they added the kids playground!

 

[SaberOne]

A lot of fast food joints around here still have outdoor seating. Heck, there are some Wienerschnitzels around here with what look like the original 1960s tables and their A frames. There’s also a DQ that I’ve been to where ordering is from a window and the the only seating is outdoors.

We still have a Wienerschnitzel here in Yuma, AZ. Next time I drive by, I’ll have to see if they have outdoor seating, but it does look original.

 

[Number_35]

Wow, great memories!

McDonald's, like spring this year, came late to the Canadian prairies.

My parents took me and my sister to the new one on Albert Street in Regina in May or June of 1970. I had a Big Mac and thought it was the best thing ever. My parents were less impressed.

Then we moved to Edmonton, and I don't think I saw a McDonald's in my four years there.

We moved to Kamloops in '74, and the memory of seeing "Over 12 Million Served" on the Golden Arches persists, along with my other brain sludge.

A 2nd one opened in North Kamloops in September 1976, and I think the burger odometer was up to 30 million by then. At some point it was replaced by "Millions and millions served".

*********

Long before my introduction to McDonald's, my parents took me to The White Spot drive-in in Victoria. The carhops would slide a long wide board through the open front windows, forming a table for the people in the front seat, and would put baskets of burgers and fries on the board.

There was also a regional chain called Dog 'n' Suds, known colloquially as Arf 'n' Barf.

 

[billt460]

I don’t get why I can often find drive thru lines backed up 50 cars deep when there’s plenty of parking and no lines inside.

I say that everytime I drive by a Starbucks. Not to mention I'm still trying to wrap my head around the concept of paying $5 bucks for a cup of sugary froth. Especially when I can make a whole pot full of actual coffee for just a few cents a cup.

 

[y_p_w]

I say that everytime I drive by a Starbucks. Not to mention I'm still trying to wrap my head around the concept of paying $5 bucks for a cup of sugary froth. Especially when I can make a whole pot full of actual coffee for just a few cents a cup.

I recall listening to one of the founders of Starbucks throwing shade at what they became under Howard Schultz. He said they didn't sell coffee any more - they sell milk now.

My go to now is Trader Joe's medium roast. It's just $5 for a 14 oz can or bag (ground) and I just like a smooth, easy drinking cup of black coffee.

 

[billt460]

I'm sold on Cafe Bustelo. I like the very fine grind. Way more bang for your buck.

 

[vavavroom]

I was a teenager before I ever at at McD's. When I was a kid I would ask my dad to take me there for a I think 10 cent burger at the time. He told me that we weren't going to eat that sh**t.

A very similar experience here. Until age 12 I was not in charge of what I was eating outside of my home and at my house we didn't have junk food. I never developed a taste for junk food. I will signal that I enjoy an occasional burger. But not weekly or daily or three times a day. I don't need to grow to 350lbs so I can carry the Húsafell stone around. That reminds me, Brian Shaw is coming back to Strongman one more time! Awesome guy.

 

[wpod]

Great comments in this thread- fun reading the comments on a Saturday morning.

My addition to the comments- no car seat for the toddler- I too remember those days and never recall being in a car seat.

How did you survive?

 

[y_p_w]

I'm sold on Cafe Bustelo. I like the very fine grind. Way more bang for your buck.

Not a huge fan. but I have taken their singles on road trips. But certainly a good bargain. I prefer Taster's Choice singles, which are still available but harder to find and more expensive than a couple of years ago.

 

[y_p_w]

How did you survive?

Children actually died from motor vehicle accidents at a greater rate before mandatory belting and child safety seats. It's still rare to die from a motor vehicle accident though. But I think it's more than about deaths. There's big difference between escaping an accident with bruises than maybe being paralyzed.

https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/children​

Seventy-two percent of child motor vehicle crash deaths in 2020 were passenger vehicle occupants, 17 percent were pedestrians, and 3 percent were bicyclists. Child pedestrian and bicyclist deaths declined by 91 and 94 percent, respectively, since 1975. Passenger vehicle child occupant deaths in 2020 were 56 percent lower than in 1975.​

 

[Hermann]

Wow, great memories!

McDonald's, like spring this year, came late to the Canadian prairies.

My parents took me and my sister to the new one on Albert Street in Regina in May or June of 1970. I had a Big Mac and thought it was the best thing ever. My parents were less impressed.

Then we moved to Edmonton, and I don't think I saw a McDonald's in my four years there.

We moved to Kamloops in '74, and the memory of seeing "Over 12 Million Served" on the Golden Arches persists, along with my other brain sludge.

A 2nd one opened in North Kamloops in September 1976, and I think the burger odometer was up to 30 million by then. At some point it was replaced by "Millions and millions served".

*********

Long before my introduction to McDonald's, my parents took me to The White Spot drive-in in Victoria. The carhops would slide a long wide board through the open front windows, forming a table for the people in the front seat, and would put baskets of burgers and fries on the board.

There was also a regional chain called Dog 'n' Suds, known colloquially as Arf 'n' Barf.

From 1957 to around the late 60's there was a Dog 'n' Suds close enough to my childhood home that at age 10 , I could throw a baseball from my back yard onto their roof over the drive up menu ordering poles. You pushed the buzzer and a carhop came out to get your order. It went under when the chain failed, and a Phillips 66 gas station went in. It was a good gas station right across the street from a Standard Station. Gas wars ensued. I remember the lowest being 13.9¢ They also had 4 service bays. The period drive over hose for the ding donger inside is a pleasant memory as it was turned up loud to get over shop noises, we could hear it inside our house.

 

[Number_35]

From 1957 to around the late 60's there was a Dog 'n' Suds close enough to my childhood home that at age 10 , I could throw a baseball from my back yard onto their roof over the drive up menu ordering poles. You pushed the buzzer and a carhop came out to get your order. It went under when the chain failed, and a Phillips 66 gas station went in. It was a good gas station right across the street from a Standard Station. Gas wars ensued. I remember the lowest being 13.9¢ They also had 4 service bays. The period drive over hose for the ding donger inside is a pleasant memory as it was turned up loud to get over shop noises, we could hear it inside our house.

I looked up Dog 'n' Suds after posting, and was surprised to see had started in the american midwest. I'd always thought it was a British Columbia thing.

$0.139 is impressive!

The lowest I ever paid was around $0.55 per Imperial gallon.