National Drive-Thru Day: History, Facts & Insights

This is an in-depth look at all the must-know facts about National Drive-Thru Day (2025) 🗓️ that no one tells you about. National Drive-Thru Day is celebrated on July 24th.

Among the information you’ll find below: the history of National Drive-Thru Day, activities to do on and how to observe this holiday, as well as intriguing facts you might want to know about National Drive-Thru Day.

📅 What day is National Drive-Thru Day 2025?

In 2025, National Drive-Thru Day is on Monday, July 24th. It is the 4th Monday in July; in 2024, it is Wednesday. There are 173 days until the next observance. You also can discover all intriguing details and facts about July 24, 2023, that you might not be aware of.

National Drive-Thru Day is in:
5
months
21
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5
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58
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39
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National Drive-Thru Day, which occurs on July 24, is a celebration of the convenience we have today to enjoy a meal without having to leave our cars. It’s easy to overlook the luxury we have of being able to eat while on the go, something that would have seemed absurd a hundred years ago. This special day is dedicated to recognizing and appreciating the establishments that make it possible for us to take multitasking to a whole new level. So, why not treat yourself by visiting your favorite drive-thru and grabbing a bite to eat?

📜 National Drive-Thru Day History

Jack in the Box, recognizing the growing car culture, opened the first drive-thru chain in 1951. Their original drive-thru-only location in San Diego offered hamburgers for 18 cents. It may come as a surprise, but McDonald’s, a major player in fast food, didn’t establish their first drive-thru until 1975, despite already having thousands of locations worldwide. The rise of drive-thrus also influenced automobile design, leading to the introduction of cupholders in 1983. Furthermore, Jack in the Box established National Drive-Thru Day in 2002 to celebrate the success of drive-through restaurants.

✅ National Drive-Thru Day Facts

🔖 It shares the date with other national holidays
July 24th is a special day as it is the date when we celebrate National Tequila Day and National Cousins Day.

🔖 It was originally created for banks
The drive-thru concept for banking services was created in the United States.

🔖 We love fast food
There are approximately 224,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States, employing over 3.5 million individuals and generating an annual revenue of more than $185 billion.

👍 Why Is National Drive-Thru Day Important

Drive-thrus are intended for use. Why bother looking for a parking spot, walking to the restaurant, standing in line, waiting for your order, and remembering where you parked your car when the restaurant has kindly provided a way to skip all of those steps?

Dropped French fries, misplaced ketchup packets, muffin crumbs, and tortilla chips are all nasty side effects of in-car meals. However, a clean vehicle (and a happy car owner) is a happy car, so drive-thrus may be a fantastic motivation for a car wash.

Not only food is being passed from one open window to another these days; businesses ranging from banks to pharmacies have embraced the drive-thru, ensuring that we never have to get out of our cars unless we want to.

🙂 How To Observe National Drive-Thru Day

⚡ Invite your friends

⚡ Try a new drive-thru
Take advantage of this special day to step out of your usual routine of ordering food at drive-thrus and explore something different. If you’re accustomed to McDonald’s, why not give Burger King a try? Or better yet, go even further and experiment with Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, or any other restaurant that you haven’t experienced before.

⚡ Look for special deals
Go all out and gather a group of pals to celebrate. Pile into a minivan, crank up the music, and head to your favorite drive-thrus: hamburgers here, milkshakes there, French fries there.

📅 When is National Drive-Thru Day?

YEAR DATE DAY
2024 July 24 Wednesday
2025 July 24 Thursday
2026 July 24 Friday
2027 July 24 Saturday
2028 July 24 Monday

Explore all 🔗 July holidays, including 🔗 Food & Beverage and other 🔗 Activities holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and interesting facts about National Drive-Thru Day. So be sure to check back soon.

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