# 2 lane drive-thrus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523 "2009-07-10T02:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/1 "2009-07-10T02:45:49Z")
I’ve seen 2-lane drive-thrus at restaurants, but never used one. I’m wondering how they work? I mean, there’s one building, but two lanes… do they use some sort of dumbwaiter to get the food to the furthest lane? Do they have the cars order on the second lane, but pull into the first lane to get the food? These baffle me… and there aren’t any locally for me to observe. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/2 "2009-07-10T03:10:21Z")
All the ones I’ve seen have one window and lane on opposite sides of the building, usually with traffic moving in the same direction. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/3 "2009-07-10T03:17:01Z")
See layout 2 [here](http://csigroupusa.com/ZOOMTimer.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/4 "2009-07-10T03:29:52Z")
The Rally’s on Venice Blvd. near where I used to live had two lanes entering from the same direction. Each lane went to a different side of the building. The left lane was a little unhandy in a car, but quite good when I was on a motorcycle. The dual lanes I’ve seen recently are at McDonald’s. Two lanes enter from the same direction. After the menu/intercom station where you place your order, the two lanes funnel into one lane. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/5 "2009-07-10T04:40:12Z")
I’ve seen some dual set-ups that use a dumbwaiter type of thing. The folks on the inside lane had the typical window delivery method while the folks in the outside lane received their food via the dumbwaiter. I believe I saw these at a Taco Cabana. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/6 "2009-07-10T08:55:17Z")
There was a dual-lane McDonalds with two windows for a while near where I used to work. There was a conveyor belt that sent food over to the second window, it had windows so while you were waiting in the line to get to the windows from the loudspeakers, you could watch other people’s food go up, across and come down so that it could be handed out. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/7 "2009-07-10T12:27:01Z")
Our bank uses pneumatic tubes. You put your paperwork/money in a plastic container, place it in the tube, and then send it to the teller. They do what’s necessary and send it back to you. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/8 "2009-07-10T12:34:15Z")
The McDonalds near me has 2 lanes, those that order from lane 1 get there food at window 1, and lane 2 window 2. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/9 "2009-07-10T14:21:39Z")
In Canada, there are a bunch of Tim Horton’s with two drive-thrus. The buildings are tiny and there’s one lane on each side of the building. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/10 "2009-07-10T14:26:57Z")
Just saw a 2 lane one at a newly rebuilt McDonald’s last week. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/11 "2009-07-10T14:29:14Z")
We have a kind of hybrid McDonald’s here - there are two lanes at the ordering part with the menu, but then they merge into one for the windows. It’s the world’s most efficient McDonald’s - there are runners getting your money from you so you just get your change at the window, and it is FAST. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/12 "2009-07-10T14:40:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Our bank uses pneumatic tubes. You put your paperwork/money in a plastic container, place it in the tube, and then send it to the teller. They do what’s necessary and send it back to you. Thank you, but I’m well aware of how a bank drive through operates; I’m a bank teller. What my OP was asking was how _restaurants_ function with two drive through lanes. Thank you everyone else for your answers. They really help solve the question I’ve had for ages and just never had the appropriate venue to ask! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/13 "2009-07-10T15:05:56Z")
I’ve actually seen a 2 lane drive-thru where runners took the food from the building to the outside lane, and collected your money. It seemed like the ideal way to get some high school kids hit by a car. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-lane-drive-thrus/502523/14 "2009-07-10T16:16:20Z")
There’s a great example at the White Castle near 22nd and State on the south side of Chicago. I always have to be careful not to end up in the lane that puts the window on your passenger side, as I’m usually alone…TRM