Carlsbad considers lifting 'drive-thru' ban for new businesses

CARLSBAD, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- If you’re hungry and in a rush, a drive-thru is often the quickest option. But in the city of Carlsbad, those options are limited because of a longstanding ordinance that prohibits drive-thrus at new businesses.

On Wednesday, the Carlsbad Planning Commission held a public meeting to gather community feedback on the issue.

At the nearby In-N-Out, the drive-thru line was packed with customers, as usual. But next door at a brand-new Chick-fil-A, there was no line — because there is no drive-thru.

“I was expecting a drive-thru because I’m just trying to make it quick and hop back on the road,” Marcos Reynoso said.

For customers who prefer to stay in their vehicles, the Chick-fil-A offers an app ordering option, allowing them to have their food brought out to the car.

Jamie Christman, a local employee who said she doesn’t mind going inside or having someone bring her food out. However, she also thinks it’s unusual not to have a drive-thru option, especially given the restaurant’s location near the freeway.

“For convenience, especially because this is right off the freeway, I think it’s strange not to have a drive-thru to give people access more quickly,” she said.

The reason for the lack of a drive-thru at the new Chick-fil-A dates back nearly three decades. In the 1990s, Carlsbad enacted a moratorium on new drive-thru businesses.

“It was put in place before Legoland came in, out of concern that the area would be overrun with food drive-thrus near Legoland,” explained Bret Schanzenbach, president and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, Carlsbad has around a dozen drive-thru businesses that were allowed to remain open because they were in place before the moratorium.  But Schanzenbach believes the restriction is hurting the local economy.

“We have pads in certain centers in Carlsbad that have never been developed because a drive-thru is a non-starter,” Schanzenbach said. “We know the economic activity there would be a boost if we could have at least a special-use permit process to consider drive-thrus.”

Some residents want to keep the moratorium because of concerns about traffic congestion, preserving the city’s character, and maintaining Carlsbad’s quality of life.

To address these concerns, the Planning Commission is listening to public input and drafting proposals, which will eventually go before the city council for consideration. Schanzenbach understands the opposition but believes the moratorium is outdated.

“Panera will not open a new site in communities without a drive-thru, so we are limiting ourselves by having this prohibition,” he said.

Possible solutions being considered include mandatory traffic studies, limiting drive-thrus to certain areas and banning 24-hour drive-thrus.