Alongside other students who go out to eat, junior Lea Paluzzi can often be found taking a trip to Starbucks during her lunch period. However, drive-thru fast food restaurants are prohibited in all Grosse Pointe communities, and therefore most chains are located in Detroit and Saint Clair Shores. Due to few fast food options located in Grosse Pointe, finding where to eat quickly and easily is an obstacle for students like Paluzzi. However, new fast food chains are opening in Metro-Detroit, closer to North, such as Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell. 

Having closer options eliminates the burden that comes with the lengthy traveling time Paluzzi experiences during her lunch period. 

“Usually when I go out to lunch it takes 15-20 minutes to get there and get our food, the whole process is around 20-25 minutes depending on the location,” Paluzzi said.

With a fast food prohibition put onto the Grosse Pointe communities, city manager of Grosse Pointe Farms, Shane Reeside, explains why fast food drive-thrus not currently allowed. 

  “The most recent ordinance, relating to drive-thrus in Grosse Pointe Farms, was adopted in 1984,” Reeside said.  “Technically restaurants and fast food restaurants are allowed in Business Districts, drive-thrus are not allowed since [they] are an essential component of traditional fast food restaurants.”

Despite the restrictions of not being able to place fast food drive-thru restaurants in the area, business teacher Richard Cooper states there are benefits when establishing fast food restaurants as they appeal to a large number of consumers.

 “What’s good for one business [is if] one business brings in lots of foot traffic, it will bring in foot traffic for all the businesses,” Cooper said. “So I think from a business standpoint it is good business to have [restaurants] that are high volume in the area.”

As franchiches are well known, more people bring in more revenue. Despite the fact that drive-thrus can create local attractions, Reeside explains that there is no loss in revenue when deciding not to permit these kinds of establishments.

“Properties are assessed for tax purposes based upon square footage, age of construction, and other factors,” Reeside said. “There is not a measurable loss of revenue due to the absence of fast-food restaurants.” 

According to Cooper, introducing popular franchises contrasts that local unique Grosse Pointe profile of being a small town.

“I believe Grosse Pointe does it to keep this image of a quaint, small town, local businesses type feel,” Cooper said. “Bringing in big change kind of takes away from that image.”