The etymology follows the drive-in which is basically a big parking lot you drive in to, do your ordering/eating/movie watching in your car, and then you drive out. And when you don’t stop in the middle of a drive in, but instead you continue through it, in your car, it became a drive through.
If you want to be more accurate it is a Drive Next to, unless you drive through the building to get your food.
Oil change places where you don’t get out of your car are drive through, everywhere else is a drive next to.
You drive through the line not the building
You mean you drive along the line not through it.
Car washes too!
Removed by mod
The etymology follows the drive-in which is basically a big parking lot you drive in to, do your ordering/eating/movie watching in your car, and then you drive out. And when you don’t stop in the middle of a drive in, but instead you continue through it, in your car, it became a drive through.
The pedantic term is a drive-up, btw.