As recently featured in an article on NPR in August, Minneapolis became the latest city to pass an ordinance banning the construction of new drive-through windows. Similar legislation restricting or banning the ubiquitous windows has also passed in Creve Coeur, Mo.; Long Beach, Calif.; and Fair Haven, N.J.
Strathmore Real Estate Group is currently working with a significant number of quick serve restaurants (QSR’s) to pivot to a new location that will expand drive-through capability, or enhance capacity at existing locations. Scott Chappelle, President of Strathmore Real Estate Group, commented “Most bans focus on curbing emissions, improving pedestrian safety and enhancing walkability, but ignore the realities of consumer tastes and the marketplace.”
In Minneapolis, City Council President Lisa Bender notes, the ordinance fits in with its updated plan for growth and development that includes achieving an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Chappelle further noted that “This legislation is sometimes promoted as an opportunity to create healthier food environments and curb obesity.” Roland Sturm, a senior economist at Rand Corp., a nonprofit research firm, calls the notion ridiculous. Proponents of the bans often tout potential health benefits, he explains, but there is no evidence to back up those claims. Obesity rates went up, not down, after South Los Angeles banned new stand-alone fast-food restaurants and drive-through windows, according to research published in the journal Social Science & Medicine in 2015. Sturm, the lead author, notes that the rates of overweight and obesity continued climbing in the three years following the ban.
Strathmore Real Estate Group continues to pursue the development and construction of over forty-six development sites throughout the Midwest suitable for enhanced traffic QSR’s. Chappelle noted that “Strathmore is simply responding to changing consumer tastes precipitated by the global pandemic.” Existing drive-through windows are often exempt from bans, and customers can still get out of their cars and venture inside for service. Chappelle noted that in the absence of a drive-through option, customers might order their dinner through Uber Eats or Grubhub, which he believes might be worse for the environment.
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