Culver City Considers Permanent Ban on Drive-Throughs Amid Community Pushback
On a Saturday afternoon in Southern California, a 20-car deep queue clogged the In-N-Out Burger drive-through lane anchored by the Culver City Costco. Amid the exhaust-filled air, customers like 64-year-old Santa Monica photographer Pierre Amoore waited in traffic for a $6.35 Double-Double. The scene reflects a broader debate in California—the state that birthed America’s drive-through culture—where city leaders are increasingly pushing back against vehicle-centric fast-food operations to protect air quality, street safety, and walkable communities.
The Rise of the “Mega-Drive-Through” Rebellion
Culver City, a densely populated five-square-mile area on the Westside of Los Angeles County with about 40,000 residents, moved this summer to halt an accumulation of local drive-throughs. The regulatory clash ignited when In-N-Out proposed a new location featuring a 26-car queue and 61 parking spaces at a busy three-street intersection. Residents and neighborhood organizers, such as Vanessa Martin and Paul Hewitt, mobilized against the project, citing worsening traffic congestion near local schools, parks, and residential zones.
City Council Action Sparks National Political Backlash
In response to hundreds of public comments expressing concern over traffic, air quality, safety, and mobility, the Culver City Council extended a moratorium on all new drive-throughs while drafting a permanent ban. Vice Mayor Bryan “Bubba” Fish noted that the proposal drew unprecedented local attention. However, the municipal action quickly attracted right-wing criticism, with the New York Post labeling the measure a “war on fast food” and Newsmax commentators calling the vote “anti-family.”
Corporate Response and Historical Context of California Drive-Throughs
In-N-Out representatives expressed surprise at the proposed municipal ban, with senior development manager Peter Kulmaticki arguing that existing ordinances already allow the city to manage traffic, noise, and trash without prohibiting new locations entirely. While the state features tens of thousands of drive-throughs dating back to the company’s invention of the two-way speaker in 1948, modern urban planners and community leaders continue to debate the balance between low-cost fast-food access, local employment, and the environmental strains of vehicle congestion.
