Why doesn’t SLO have drive-thrus? Here’s the reason behind the ban — and what residents think

Downtown San Luis Obispo is home to coffee shops, mom-and-pop cafes and numerous ice cream parlors — but visitors to the city wouldn’t be able to find a drive-thru.

Roughly 40 years ago, the San Luis Obispo City Council banned local business from offering take-out services that allow customers to purchase products without leaving their cars.

While supporters say the drive-thru ban supports family-owned restaurants and promotes a friendlier city culture, others miss the convenience of food on the go.

Why did city of SLO outlaw drive-thrus?

The City Council passed the drive-thru ban on Dec. 7, 1982, when it updated the city’s zoning regulations.

“Drive-through facilities were considered inappropriate due to air-quality impacts of idling cars waiting for service, vehicle queuing causing traffic problems and the visual impact of added paving needed to accommodate drive-through customers,” city spokesperson Whitney Szentesi wrote in an email to The Tribune.

In 2018, the city updated the ordinance with a definition of drive-thrus to include drive-in or drive-up windows for fast food restaurants, banks and pharmacies, according to SLO community development director Tyler Corey.

Drive-in movie theaters and car washes aren’t included in the ban, Corey said.

Meanwhile, other large cities in the Central Coast allow drive-thru services.

In Arroyo Grande, folks can visit In-N-Out Burger and Carl’s Jr., while North County cities such as Atascadero and Paso Robles have McDonald’s, Burger King and Jack in the Box.

San Luis Obispo isn’t the only American city to ban drive-thrus, though.

According to NPR, Long Beach, Minneapolis and Fair Haven, New Jersey, also have drive-thru bans.

What do city residents think about drive-thru ban?

So, what do folks think about San Luis Obispo’s drive-thru ban?

San Luis Obispo resident Matt Dilonno often bikes to and from the Madonna Plaza shopping center. He thinks adding a drive-thru to the area would cause traffic congestion and potentially make the roads more dangerous for bikers.

“It’s nice not to have people in line drinking a soda trying to hit me with their car,” Dilonno said.

Besides, Dilonno said, he trusts the SLO City Council to make good city planning decisions.

“I figure the policymakers know what they’re doing, that’s why we elect them,” he said.

Atascadero resident Jodie Snowbarger said the drive-thru ban encourages a more mindful culture.

“Sometimes it obviously makes things more inconvenient, but it forces us to think about our lifestyle,” Snowbarger said. The ban allows people to make “simpler, more sustainable choices,” she said.

“We don’t have resources to last forever and we’re seeing that play out,” Snowbarger said. “Forcing us to stop and take slower movements and not take things to-go all the time helps.”

Atascadero resident Ann Holley moved to San Luis Obispo County in 1984, two years after the drive-thru ban was passed, she said.

“I wish that there weren’t drive-thrus in Atascadero,” Holley said. “I prefer people walking in, walking up. I think it slows people down.”

“It’s friendlier,” she said, and “has a more community feel.”

Peter Rogo, who moved to San Luis Obispo in 1974, said the city should allow drive-thrus to support businesses.

“Drive thrus tend to attract a lot of business because it’s easy, and I don’t see a problem with it. It still provides income for the city, so why not,” Rogo said.

Besides, drive-thrus are a lot of fun, he said.

Rogo grew up in the Los Angeles area, where he remembers hanging out at In n Out Burger and A&W.

“They’d roller skate to the car, we’d make out, knock over the cokes and everything,” Rogo said with a laugh. “It was so much fun back then.”

“Everybody’s got a memory of a drive-thru as a kid,” Rogo added.

Drive-thrus could support local restaurants, business owner says

Hector Martinez, general manager at Frank’s Hot Dogs in San Luis Obispo, said the restaurant and other local businesses would benefit from having drive-thrus.

“Having a drive-thru would really increase customers,” he said. “We would be booming, I imagine.”

According to Martinez, 85% of the hot dog joint’s orders are to-go. That includes orders from workers on their way to the job site in the morning.

For example, he said, Frank’s Hot Dogs opens at 6:30 a.m. so construction workers can grab breakfast before starting work at 7 a.m.

“I want them to go to work and at least have a meal,” Martinez said.

If Frank’s had a drive-thru, those workers could “pull in, grab their burrito, and go,” he said.

Other customers would appreciate the convenience of staying in their cars to pick up and eat food, Martinez said.

“Sometimes you don’t want to be seen by people — wear your PJ’s,” he said. “It’s just convenient.”

“To me, it’s crucial, especially for a fast food joint,” Martinez said.

Martinez said drive-thrus are a natural part of a city’s development.

“I know they’re trying to keep this town very compact,” he said of city officials. “We don’t want big corporations. But this town is growing.”

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