California city weighs drive-thru ban after In-N-Out proposal sparks debate

A California city is weighing a ban on drive-throughs after some residents expressed concern that a proposed In-N-Out could hurt air quality, worsen traffic and create safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists.

The City Council in Culver City, California, passed a 45-day moratorium last month to prohibit permits for new drive-throughs while staff drafted a potential ban, according to LAist. This comes after the city’s mobility subcommittee voted to recommend staff draft the ban in May.

If the city council approves a ban, only new businesses would be affected.

In-N-Out would be the first new drive-thru in Culver City since 1997, according to a city staff report. The proposed fast-food restaurant would include 61 parking spaces and a drive-thru lane that could fit 26 vehicles.

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The City Council in Culver City, California, passed a 45-day moratorium last month to prohibit permits for new drive-thrus while staff drafted a potential ban. (Retuers/Daniel Cole / Reuters)

The burger chain had not submitted the formal application for a permit it was preparing when the city passed the moratorium, a city spokesperson told LAist.

FOX Business reached out to In-N-Out for comment.

“As a private, family-owned company, we generally don’t comment publicly on business matters,” a spokesperson for In-N-Out told LAist.

Critics of In-N-Out’s plan have slammed the proposal for potentially hurting the city’s ability to be safe and walkable.

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

Martin’s wife, Cynthia, created an online petition calling on residents and the city council to oppose the In-N-Out “mega drive-thru,” arguing it would create traffic congestion, worsen air quality and pose safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists.

In-N-Out would be the first new drive-thru in Culver City since 1997. (Reuters/Daniel Cole / Reuters)

Another resident, Paul Hewitt, began handing out flyers to his neighbors calling the project a “terrible idea.”

Culver City Councilmember Bubba Fish, who sits on the city’s mobility subcommittee, said the city needs to create “more walkable, bikeable, safer streets for people of all modes, and drive-throughs are the antithesis of that.”

But opponents of the ban said drive-throughs are an important option for consumers, including people with disabilities and families with children.

Jot Condie, the president of the California Restaurant Association, said he believes drive-thru bans are generally “shortsighted.”

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

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Critics of In-N-Out’s plan have slammed the proposal for potentially hurting the city’s ability to be safe and walkable. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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

This is not the first attempt at a drive-thru ban in the Golden State.

Culver City already bans drive-throughs in its downtown area, while Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo have had citywide bans for decades, according to LAist. Carlsbad recently eased a citywide ban that began in the late 1990s to allow for consideration of new drive-throughs on a case-by-case basis.

When San Diego considered a partial drive-thru ban in 2021, the California Restaurant Association sent a letter arguing that a ban would prevent certain groups, including people with disabilities, from accessing products and services, the outlet reported.