A California city is considering a ban on new drive-through facilities after residents raised concerns that a proposed In-N-Out Burger location could degrade air quality, exacerbate traffic congestion, and endanger pedestrians and cyclists.
The Culver City Council approved a 45-day moratorium last month blocking permits for new drive-throughs while staff draft a potential permanent ban, according to LAist. The move followed a May recommendation from the city’s mobility subcommittee to pursue such an ordinance. Any approved ban would apply only to future businesses.
The proposed In-N-Out would mark the first new drive-through in Culver City since 1997, per a city staff report. Plans call for 61 parking spaces and a drive-thru lane accommodating 26 vehicles.
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 yet submitted a formal permit application when the moratorium took effect, a city spokesperson told LAist. In-N-Out declined to comment publicly on the matter.
“As a private, family-owned company, we generally don’t comment publicly on business matters,” a spokesperson told LAist.
Critics argue the project threatens the city’s walkability and safety goals. “Density is inevitable, and development is inevitable,” said Vanessa Martin, a resident organizing support for the ban. “We want to be proactive and smart about it.” Martin’s wife, Cynthia, launched an online petition opposing what they term a “mega drive-thru,” citing traffic, air quality, and safety risks 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, distributed flyers labeling the project a “terrible idea.” Councilmember Bubba Fish, who serves on the mobility subcommittee, said the city must prioritize “more walkable, bikeable, safer streets for people of all modes, and drive-throughs are the antithesis of that.”
Opponents of the ban contend drive-throughs provide essential access for people with disabilities and families with children. Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Association, called such bans “shortsighted,” arguing they effectively prohibit quick-service restaurants without explicitly stating so.
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)
Drive-thru orders account for roughly 70% of all fast-food sales, according to the American Planning Association.
This is not California’s first drive-through restriction. Culver City already bans them in its downtown core, while Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo have maintained citywide bans for decades. Carlsbad recently relaxed its longstanding prohibition to evaluate new drive-throughs case by case. When San Diego weighed a partial ban in 2021, the California Restaurant Association warned it would limit access for people with disabilities, among other groups.