Eating in a Car: The Drive-in Restaurants from the Past

The automobile industry boomed in the 1920s. Families were able to afford vehicles because consumers were making more money. As a result, businesses such as drive-ins and restaurants became more popular.

Drive-in restaurants were first introduced in 1921 by the Pig Stand chain of restaurants in Texas. At drive-ins, customers parked their cars, and carhops took their orders and delivered them to the kitchen. The carhop would bring the food back to the car so that the customer could enjoy it in their vehicle after it was ready. The model improved the speed and efficiency of service. By speeding up the delivery of food to customers, restaurants continued to enhance their concept. The trend of roller-skating carhops spread like wildfire across the country.

As these leisure-inspired buildings became more popular, architects sought to improve their form and functionality. Carhops were given circular drive-ins to quickly get from the kitchen to the car windows and canopies to protect them from the sun. Over time, drive-ins declined and were replaced by drive-throughs, which negated the need to hire carhops, saving time and money. Conversely, customers wait in line at a drive-through restaurant and pass through one or more windows to order, pay, and receive their food. California-based In-N-Out Burger was one of the first restaurants to offer drive-through services in 1948, but it wasn’t until McDonald’s opened its first take-out window in Arizona in 1975 that the concept took off. At that time, drive-in restaurants were few and far between.

#1 Carhops at English Drive-in Restaurant

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#2 Teenagers at a Drive-in eatery in Kansas, 1967

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#3 Family Orders Food at Drivein Restaurant.

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#4 Cars parked outside Koch’s Drive-in

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#5 Restaurant for motori, Los Angeles, 1965

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#6 Erstes Drive in Restaurant Deutschlands in Mannheim.

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#7 A waitress serves food to a passenger and driver of a classic car complete with tail fins.

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#8 Irish, a waitress or ‘carhop’ at The Clock Drive-In restaurant in California, 1955.

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#9 A waitress or carhop at The Clock Drive-In restaurant in California, 1955.

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#10 A car entering a Candian shopping mall’s car park for a drive-in church service in Scarborough, 1955

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#11 A trio of worshippers sit in their automobile during the Sunday Service at the Drive-In theatre, 1955

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#12 A woman listens to a sermon from her car at a drive-in church service, 1955

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#13 A woman loads a box, which will deliver food to a waiting car at a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood, 1955

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#14 Drive-In Restaurant in California, 1954

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#15 A young couple in a convertible order food at Tiny Naylor’s Drive-In Restaurant in Los Angeles, 1951

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#16 To Go.A waiter serves food to motorists at a drive-in restaurant in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, 1951

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#17 Two women sit on a bench outside a Hollywood drive-in restaurant.

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#18 A young motorist studies the menu at a Hollywood drive-in restaurant.

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#19 A young waitress notes down a motorist’s oder at a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood.

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#20 A woman sitting in her convertible removes a lunch tray from the Auto-Motor mart.

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#21 Cars parked at an automated drive-in diner, where individual conveyor belts transport food directly to the driver, Califonia, 1950.

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#22 Cliff’s Drive-In.

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#23 Cars park outside Harry Carpenter’s Drive-in Restaurant on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine in Los Angeles, 1949

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#24 Cars at Automated Drive-in Restaurant.

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#25 Frisch’s ‘Big Boy One’ Drive-In, Cincinnati, 1940s

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#26 A view of Scrivner’s Restaurant which is a circular building cars parked around it.

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#27 A Hollywood, California sea food restaurant covered in 50,000 abalone shells.

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#28 Monte Blue in Drive-in Restaurant, 1933

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#29 Staff at Carpenter’s food stand and service station, West Sunset Boulevard & Vine Street, Los Angeles.

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#30 A busy parking lot around Carpenter’s Sandwiches drive in restaurant.

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#31 Three cars parked at a Los Angeles drive-in cafe, with a waitress serving at one car

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#32 Carhop Waitress on roller skates serving couple, 1955

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#33 A waitress in shorts takes an order from a customer at a Roberts Brothers drive-in restaurant, 1958.

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#34 A waiter serves food to motorists at a drive-in restaurant in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, 1951

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#35 Cars parked at an automated drive-in diner, where individual conveyor belts transport food directly to the driver, Califonia, 1950.

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#36 A Drive-in Restaurant in Hollywood, 1950s

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#37 Sunset Boulevard Drive-in, 1950s

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#38 A family at a drive-in restaurant has cool air piped into their car. 1957.

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#39 A carhop pouring milk from a bottle into a glass, at McDonnell’s Drive-In. 1930s.

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#40 McDonnell’s Drive-In at night. 1930s.

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#41 The Montlake Drive-In Market, opened in 1931, Seattle, Washington, 1937.

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#42 Kau Kau Korner Drive-In, Hawaii, 1940s.

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#43 A late night at the drive-in, a couple and their young son watch a film while they sit in their ’41 Buick coupe, with almost an equally large canister of popcorn.

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#44 Andy’s Drive-In with carhops pose in front with cars they’re serving, 1941.

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#45 A neon sign at a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood, California, 1942.

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#46 A carhop holds two trays as she poses for a shot in front of a small diner, Houston, Texas, 1945.

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#47 A friendly carhop converses with two guys in a ’46-7 Mercury convertible, at Simon’s Drive-In, 1948.

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#48 The McDonald’s Drive-In, 1950s.

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#49 Bob’s Big Boy carhop waitress at drive-in, Southern California, 1952.

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#50 The carhop on the wall at a White Castle in Wentzville, Missouri, 1960s.

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#51 The Red Steer Drive-In, Boise, Idaho, 1960s.

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#52 Carpenter’s Sandwich Stand at 6285 West Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street in Los Angeles, 1930s.

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#56 The Twin Barrels in Los Angeles. 1939.

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#57 After prohibition ended in 1933, people found just about any and every reason to toast. Some drive-ins served alcohol. 1940s.

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#58 An employee loads the conveyor belts with meals for hungry customers.

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#59 Drive-ins didn’t only serve burgers and fries. Depending on where you went, you could get a full dinner or just a steaming coffee in a mug. 1950s.

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#60 From having a full meal to just an ice cream treat after a night out, these establishments offered it all. 1950s.

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