CARLSBAD — For the first time in nearly three decades, Carlsbad will allow new drive-thru restaurants on a case-by-case basis through individual conditional use permits and zoning amendments.
The decision comes after the City Council voted 3-2 during its April 29 meeting and effectively marks the end of a longstanding prohibition adopted in 1998 amid concerns that fast-food development near the then-new Legoland California Resort would mirror commercial sprawl seen around Disneyland.
While the citywide ban remains in place, under the new policy, proposed drive-thru locations outside the city’s downtown Village and Barrio areas, which remain under a separate master plan, may be eligible for council approval.
Bret Schanzenbach, CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to lift the city’s “outdated” drive-thru restaurant ban.
“We’d like to encourage you to end the blanket moratorium on food and beverage drive-thrus,” Schanzenbach said during public comment. “We are literally forcing more vehicle miles traveled right now by forcing our vehicles to go farther for that food or drink that they want. They are going to Encinitas or Oceanside or over to the coast when they could be having options in their own vicinity.”
Opponents, including Councilmembers Teresa Acosta and Priya Bhat-Patel, expressed concerns about traffic congestion, air pollution and neighborhood aesthetics. They were joined by several speakers and residents who submitted written comments urging the city to maintain the ban.
“We need to keep Carlsbad’s community character and quality of life,” wrote resident Michael McMahon. “Adding more idling cars at more drive-thrus is directly in opposition to Carlsbad’s stated vision and sustainability goals.”
Another resident, Lynne Seabloom, supported keeping the city’s long-standing drive-thru restaurant ban, arguing that lifting the moratorium would increase pollution, plastic waste, and long-term climate-related costs, while offering minimal financial return.
“Support your citizens who love a clean, healthy, and climate-wise city,” Seabloom wrote in an email.
Supporters of ending the ban argued that drive-thrus offer convenience, particularly for older adults, people with disabilities, and busy families. They also noted that the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road reduces the environmental impact once tied to idling engines.
Carlsbad business owner and attorney Shoshannah Hart, a parent of two young children, said families like hers often bypass local businesses due to the inconvenience of getting young children in and out of the car. She noted they regularly spend hundreds of dollars monthly at drive-thru locations in nearby cities.
“We will skip spending money in Carlsbad in order to find a drive-thru,” Hart wrote.
Mayor Keith Blackburn, who voted in favor of the change, acknowledged the debate on both sides.
“Both sides have valid arguments,” Blackburn said. “It’s about choice, business, and the quality of life.”
City data shows that drive-thru restaurants generate more local sales tax revenue. Fast-food locations bring in an average of $30,000 annually compared to $22,000 for restaurants without a drive-thru.
The shift comes after staff presented five regulatory options to the council, ranging from keeping the ban in place to allowing drive-thrus across all commercial zones. Ultimately, the council selected the most targeted approach, requiring a conditional-use permit and zoning amendment for each proposal.
Twelve drive-thru restaurants currently operate in Carlsbad, all of which were approved before the 1998 ban. Other types of drive-up services — such as those at banks and pharmacies — were never subject to the restriction.
The city’s Planning Commission reviewed the matter in November 2024 and supported limited flexibility for future drive-thru restaurants in specific commercial areas, especially underutilized sites already suited for such uses. However, commissioners expressed concern about potential impacts on nearby residential zones and reiterated opposition to drive-thrus in the Village area.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a surge in contactless service demand, helped reignite local interest in revisiting the policy.
The updated rule is intended to offer businesses new economic opportunities while giving the city oversight to limit overconcentration and address traffic, design, and environmental concerns.
As part of the change, proposed drive-thru projects will undergo a public review process before final council consideration.
