Few things feel more quintessentially SoCal than grabbing burgers, tacos, or coffee without ever leaving your car. Drive-thrus have long been woven into the region’s car-centric culture. But one Los Angeles County city is now questioning whether that tradition still fits its future.
Culver City is moving closer to banning all new drive-thru restaurants, a decision that could reshape how future fast food businesses operate, according to NBC Los Angeles. The proposal comes as a new In-N-Out Burger location seeks approval for what would become the city’s first new drive-thru restaurant since 1997.
Why is Culver City pressing pause on new drive-thrus?
The debate comes as plans for a new In-N-Out Burger at the Studio Village Shopping Center have raised questions. Preliminary site plans show a nearly 4,000-square-foot restaurant with 61 parking spaces and a drive-thru designed to accommodate up to 26 vehicles before merging into a single lane around the outdoor dining area.
In response to growing concerns around future drive-thru development, the city adopted a 45-day emergency moratorium in June, temporarily blocking approvals for new drive-thru permits while planners studied whether the businesses fit with Culver City’s long-term development goals.
As that temporary pause approached its expiration date, the City Council voted to extend the moratorium for another 10 months and 15 days, giving staff additional time to draft a potential zoning ordinance that could permanently prohibit new drive-thru restaurants.
According to planning documents, the city is weighing factors including traffic congestion, vehicle idling, pedestrian and cyclist safety, neighborhood compatibility, and broader land-use goals. If approved, the proposal would apply only to future drive-thru developments, meaning existing drive-thru businesses would be allowed to continue operating as usual.
