Years after viral "Carbucks" debacle, St. Paul considers new drive-thru limits
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St. Paul is considering clamping down on new drive-thru lanes, especially for fast food joints and coffee shops.
Why it matters: The move is part of the city's broader push to make neighborhoods more pedestrian-friendly, but opponents argue it could also limit a lucrative source of business and convenience for customers.
State of play: The proposal isn't a citywide ban — like Minneapolis enacted in 2019 — but in certain zoning districts it would only allow drive-thrus at banks or pharmacies.
- At new fast food and coffee locations, the change would also require triple the space in a drive-thru lane for cars to sit and wait. That change could severely limit new drive-thrus, even in zoning districts that allow them.
- New drive-thrus would also not be allowed in the downtown core.
Catch up quick: St. Paul has experienced how a poorly designed drive-thru can snarl an intersection.
- The Starbucks at Snelling & Marshall, dubbed "Carbucks" by some social media users, closed its drive-thru in 2022 after years of complaints about cars overflowing from the parking lot into streets and nearby bike lanes.
What they're saying: While the proposal is in part a response to the "Carbucks" debacle, supporters say the broader push to make streets more walkable and bikeable is also good for storefront commerce.
- "The second you put a drive-thru in, that business becomes an island," urban geographer Bill Lindeke told the city's planning commission.
The other side: Opponents told commissioners that the proposal was a blunt instrument that wouldn't necessarily prevent a future "Carbucks."
- Instead of a partial ban, the St. Paul Area Chamber's Amanda Duerr suggested city officials reexamine how much space it requires for cars in drive-thru lanes.
- Other restaurateurs testified about the importance of drive-thrus to their business. They account for 80% of the sales at Minnesota's Taco Bells, one prominent franchisee testified.
Between the lines: Other large cities like Atlanta have enacted similar restrictions, often citing traffic research that more "conflict points," like a drive-thru lane crossing a sidewalk, make streets more dangerous for pedestrians.
The intrigue: St. Paul officials acknowledge drive-thrus have recently increased in popularity, newly embraced by big-box retail stores and even chains that used to be dine-in only, like Chipotle and Starbucks.
What's next: More deliberation by a committee before votes at the full planning commission and city council.