The Made-Up 'Holiday' Jack In The Box Created That Actually Stuck

The drive-thru lane is both a defining characteristic and a vital sales channel for fast food chains across America. According to The National Restaurant Association (via QSR), nearly 75% of all restaurant sales in 2025 happened off-premises — a segment that includes the drive-thru. Per the same study, more than four in 10 adults report hitting the drive-thru at least once every week. Arguably, the drive-thru is so ubiquitous in the U.S. that it should have its own holiday ... and it does, thanks to Jack in the Box. Whether you love it or tend to skip it, Jack in the Box put National Drive-Thru Day on the map, and other chains have followed suit to offer freebies and discounts for the annual occasion. 

Although it is ultimately an unofficial holiday in the U.S., July 24 is recognized by participating parties as National Drive-Thru Day. It all started in 1951, when Jack in the Box opened its first drive-thru chain (though, do note that both In-N-Out and Red's Giant Hamburg had pioneered the drive-thru a few years earlier). This San Diego chain restaurant was "drive-thru only," and it helped popularize the two-way intercom ordering system and served burgers for just $0.18.

Fast-forward to 2002, and the California-based chain turned the concept into a holiday when it issued an official press release calling for July 28 to be recognized as National Drive-Thru Day. The idea received a special commendation from then-California Governor Gray Davis, and around 2006, the observation date changed to July 24, where it has remained since.

Nowadays, consumer desire for fast, convenient fare is as alive as it was in the 1970s (although, the affordability factor has somewhat suffered). Indeed, according to a post on the Jack in the Box website, "roughly 90% of our 500 million annual guests [choose] drive-thru or take out." Since Jack in the Box's establishment of the holiday in 2002, other fast food chains have jumped on the bandwagon to drive foot traffic. For several years, Dunkin' has offered promotions for foodies to earn 100 bonus points on National Drive-Thru Day, which can be redeemed for free or discounted beverages in the Dunkin' app. In 2024, Chick-fil-A offered guests an entire week of bonus rewards points for placing a mobile drive-thru order around the holiday. 

Last year, Jack in the Box delighted fans by sending a clown-costume-clad Jack mascot to a franchise drive-thru line to hand cars their orders. An Instagram post dedicated to the surprise cameo reads, "Y'all know I had to pull up on national drive-thru day. Get a free Jr. Jumbo Jack or Jr. Chicken Sandwich w/ $5+ order on the Jack app." In 2019, the chain gave away free shakes in honor of the holiday to folks who signed up for its online coupons. Lugging several years of dwindling sales and a rocky fiscal history, a comeback for Jack in the Box might be tough in 2026. But, regardless of the chain's future, it created an industry holiday that budget-conscious consumers can look forward to every year — not a bad legacy.