How to Practice Drive Thru Etiquette

Reviewed by Tami Claytor

Last Updated: January 18, 2025

Restaurant drive-thrus are super convenient, but that doesn’t mean you can act however you want when you’re in one! Luckily, it’s super easy to follow drive-thru etiquette. So long as you’re kind, attentive, and friendly, you should be totally fine. Still, if you want to know more about how you should behave in the drive-thru queue, we’ve got your back. Read on to learn everything you’ll need to know about being a good citizen in the drive-thru line.

1

Get off of the phone.

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At bare minimum, ask the person you're talking to hold on while you conduct your transaction. If you're calling home to see if anyone wants something, do so before entering the drive-thru lane. Trying to gather everyone's order by phone as you're actively ordering creates a delay for you the customer as well as everyone in line behind you.

2

Turn the radio off.

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Either turn down the volume or turn off any radios or CDs that are blaring noise. Excess noise may interfere with hearing the order. The employees need to hear the actual order, not what you are listening to in your car. If the restaurant has a drive-thru speaker behind the counter for the food line, people ordering inside can hear everything that happens around the service speaker. This includes the conversations held by other people in the car.(Yes! They can even hear you yell at or spank your children... it is very awkward!) Also, if you have a loud engine, it is advised to turn it off as well.

3

Keep your wipers off.

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If it is raining, please turn off your windshield wipers before you get to the service window. Not doing so results in your wipers spraying dirty water, anti-freeze leftovers and grime on the service person.

4

Shut your headlights off at night.

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Turn off headlights at night. The last thing someone in a drive-thru needs is blazing headlights in their mirrors. Parking lights are acceptable. The only exception to this rule is if the area is not lit. You may turn the headlights back on if there is no one in front of you or when exiting the line.

5

Pick your order before you get to the speaker.

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It's polite to know what you're going to have before you come to the speaker. Pondering and thinking at the speaker wastes the employees' time, as well as the time of the people in the back of you. Note that some places may have breakfast and lunch items on the same board, but will stop breakfast at a certain time (usually around 10:30 to 11 am). Some boards may have "express" items, or a limited amount, whereas a full menu can be accessible inside the restaurant.

6

Speak loudly and clearly.

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Talk loud enough that the employee can hear you. Speak loudly, slowly and clearly but not so slow that you cause the employee to feel like a child and not so loud that you're screaming at the employee taking your order. You'll always want the food line to know exactly what you want, so if there is any miscommunication or if something is wrong with your order, you may need to go into the restaurant to change it. Have one person talk into the speaker instead of people shouting out their orders from the vehicle. Finally, be sure to verify each item or meal before leaving the speaker.

7

Confirm your order.

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Make sure that the order-taker understands your order. Cashiers at fast food restaurants have multiple duties and may not be giving you their full attention, they might also be speaking with a customer at the service window, or putting equipment away, etc. If you read out your full order in a single breath, it will probably be misunderstood. Take small pauses after different items (number one combo...with no pickles and extra mayo) and wait for the cashier to respond ("ok", "yes", etc) before continuing.

8

Ask for condiments ahead of time.

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If you wait until you’re grabbing the food, it takes the workers longer. Don't be afraid to tell the order taker to add ketchup, mayonnaise, extra sauces, salt or pepper, and so forth at lunchtime, or jelly, butter, creamer and sugar, and so forth at breakfast to your bag. For the most part, it's free!
- Note that some places charge for extra sauce. You can try to be slick and ask for it at the window but most places see that food cost slipping away and will charge you at the window.

9

Try to avoid making big changes.

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Avoid ordering 3-5 items only to go back and change the first item. The order taking system is so high-tech that many restaurants with drive-thru service have the grill-staff wearing the same headsets as the order-takers so that they can hear and begin preparing your order as soon as you say "cheeseburger." So, if you order anything after said cheeseburger, then go back and say, "Oh, can I have that first cheeseburger with no onions", the grill team now has to make another cheeseburger for you, wasting your time and the customers behind you, and wasting food.
- Reminder: By doing this, it means now you have an audience of at least 4-8 people listening to you screaming at your child for making changes––how awkward.
- Do not add to or change your order at the window. Employees begin making the food as you're ordering it. If you change your order at the window, the grill team can't hear it and now they must stop making the next person's order and fix what you changed to not slow down the drive-thru.

10

Put the butts out.

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Fewer people smoke nowadays and in many places, smoking is not allowed on food premises at all. Therefore, not everyone wants to smell your tobacco or marijuana products when they open the drive-thru window, nor do they want your smoke in their face. Remember, this is a window and when it opens, the wind carries the smell throughout the service area of the restaurant. The employee at the window isn't the only one who gets bombarded with it.

11

Get your money ready.

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Be prepared with your payment. Organizing your payment method should be carried out before driving into the line. Trying to search for and dish out change from the deepest crevices of your car seat at the last minute may hold up the line and people's orders. Worse for you, you might not have enough to pay!

12

Leave some space for fellow drivers

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Leave a good space between you and the car in front of and behind you. Have respect for those around you and move forward when they do.

13

Clear your cup holders before the window=

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If your cup holders are full of junk, empty them out for your drinks. Prepare cup holders, and other holding areas in your car before you get to the pick-up window. Waiting for the customer to move things around while the employee is holding the bag or drinks out the window also creates a delay for the entire line of customers.
- If your car is like your second basement, the need to create space for the food should be a paramount concern before you get in the queue to order.

Community Q&A

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Question

I'm wondering why tipping drive-thru employees isn't a common practice, especially since their wages may be low.

Community Answer

While you can certainly tip drive-thru employees if they are willing to accept it, it's not standard practice because their compensation structure typically doesn't rely on tips like restaurant servers. Tipping usually requires cash, as most drive-thru establishments are not set up to process gratuities via credit or debit cards. The issue of low wages extends beyond fast food workers, but current tipping norms reflect industry-specific payment models.

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When I receive my order from the drive-thru, is it appropriate to thank the attendant?

Community Answer

It is always a kind gesture, though not strictly necessary.

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Tips

When paying and receiving food, always try to get the driver's side at least within an arm's reach of the window. The window people may not have accessibility to reach further across.

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Please don't make lame jokes when using large bills. "No need to check, I printed it off this morning" is not funny when it is heard eight times a day.

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Cashiers cannot split an order after it has been input, so if you have multiple bills say so before you begin.

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Warnings

If the line is long or seems stalled, please do not honk your horn, shout at the people in front of you to hurry up, or race your car's engine. Restaurant managers have been known to call the police and report disruptive customers.

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Be dressed when you go through the line. Serving a naked customer is disturbing, and a breach of public propriety, and if the service person feels that you're exposing yourself to them, you've probably broken the law.

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The following items drastically slow down the drive-thru. Do not go through the drive-thru if:
- Your window does not work. This makes it awkward for the employee to take your money, give you your change and your food. It also slows down the drive-thru line waiting for you to open the door and awkwardly place your items in your car.
- You want to place more than two individual orders. Two is the maximum number of orders most places will allow. You again hold up the line trying to decide how to combine the multiple orders into two.
- You want to place a very large order. Any order over three value meals or six individual items significantly slows down the drive-thru.
- You don't know how much money is on your Debit/ATM/Credit Card. If your card is declined you have just wasted your time, the time of the customers in line behind you and the food they just made and bagged for you––no, they're not going to give it to you for free.
- Your car has mechanical issues. If your car likes to stall or smoke, please go inside. A stalled car holds up the drive-thru until there are enough people to help you move said car out of the way. You are inconveniencing everyone around you when this happens. A car that smokes a lot not only bothers the customers behind you in line but the exhaust fumes go right in the windows and float around a bit before they dissipate as stated above in number 10.
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