How to Choose a Location for a Drive-Thru Coffee Stand

Choosing a location for a drive-thru coffee stand requires more than finding a busy road. The engineering study below illustrates the limits of using raw traffic counts to predict drive-thru trips. Access, queue storage and the physical site then determine whether the location can accommodate the concept.

Use this guide to screen traffic, access, stacking and demographics before commissioning a site-specific traffic study and confirming local requirements. If you are considering the franchise route, compare the formats in the drive-thru coffee franchise guide.

Before committing to a location, use this letter of intent guide for a franchise coffee shop lease to organize the proposed lease terms.

How much traffic does a drive-thru coffee stand really need?

The coffee and donut shop trip-generation study published by CED Engineering studied 13 shops in Western New York, with most data collected in December 2007. In its preliminary analysis, adjacent-road average daily traffic had a P-value of 0.1799 for drive-thru trips, above the authors’ 0.10 threshold for 90% confidence. The study was limited in sample size and geography; it does not establish that traffic counts are irrelevant or predict sales at a new site.

The Human Bean’s own location guide, dated August 28, 2024 and checked October 14, 2026, states: “Aim for locations with a minimum of 15,000 vehicles per day (VPD).” This is one franchisor’s screening guidance, not an independent research finding or a universal minimum. For the franchise investment context behind that guide, see The Human Bean franchise cost guide.

Use the traffic count alongside observed morning flows, permitted turns and local trade-area demographics. A road’s daily volume alone does not establish whether the site works for your planned operation.

Which side of the road, and how easy is it to get in?

The Human Bean’s guide states: “Additionally, being on the correct side of the road for morning traffic is crucial.” It also says: “Sites with simple right-in, right-out access are ideal.” Its road-speed guidance is explicit: “Roads with speeds under 40 MPH are ideal.” Confirm how those criteria fit the actual approach direction and permitted turns at the site.

Traffic engineer Paul Basha wrote in his August 29, 2024 Rose Law Group Reporter column: “Coffeeshops on the right side of the road near a major freeway entrance typically generate more traffic than coffee shops in other locations.” Treat this as an engineer’s location observation, not a traffic forecast for your parcel.

The Human Bean also cautions: “Whenever possible avoid locations with medians in the road, intersections that complicate entry and exit, or prohibitive traffic laws.” Inspect the access layout during the morning rush and confirm restrictions before committing to the property.

The Jax Daily Record reported on April 23, 2026 that Scooter’s Coffee screens sites using “VAST”: visibility, access, signing and traffic. Its franchise-sales representative also described locating near a Walmart to reach people already driving past that retailer. This is a reported brand approach, not proof that every retail-adjacent site will work.

Restaurant Dive reported on March 27, 2026 that Town Pump was developing 400-square-foot Stonehouse Coffee Shots kiosks with pickup and drive-thru windows for its parking lots, with the first at a Town Pump in Kalispell, Montana. For a broader comparison of the kiosk franchise route, see the coffee kiosk franchise guide.

How much drive-thru stacking space do you need?

Separate the zoning minimum from the queue your operation may generate. The City of Saint Paul’s September 6, 2024 Drive Throughs Zoning Study memo reports a minimum of four stacking spaces per lane for banks, credit unions and fast-food restaurants, with other uses determined by the zoning administrator. This describes the code reported in that dated memo, not a current requirement for every jurisdiction. The memo cites coffee shop and kiosk studies with maximum queues ranging from 13 to 26 vehicles.

The memo also describes a Saint Paul Starbucks whose peak-hour queue, according to a 2017 traffic study, reached 12 vehicles, approximately 240 feet, exceeding its on-site stacking and spilling into the public right of way. The drive-thru was replaced by an outdoor patio in 2022 after attempts to mitigate safety issues.

For planning distance, the CED study assumes approximately 25 feet per queued vehicle, measured backward from the service window. Basha’s August 29, 2024 column states: “Traffic engineers assume a vehicle length of 20 feet.” These are different source assumptions, not interchangeable site requirements.

CED observed an average morning-peak service time of 30 seconds per vehicle at two shops, equivalent to 120 vehicles per hour. Its planning method uses arrival and service rates to estimate a queue that will not be exceeded 95% of the time, then converts vehicles to distance. The service rate must exceed the arrival rate for that formula to work. The study explicitly limits its queuing equations to planning use because observations were limited. Use a local traffic engineer’s assessment of your expected peak demand and service pattern to size the lane and keep overflow off public streets.

Include drive-thru permission, stacking and access review in the permitting and zoning work outlined in the coffee shop opening timeline.

Equipment that follows from the site

• Plan order-taking positions along the stacking lane with the drive-thru headset and intercom guide.
• Include vehicle arrival alerts in the lane layout using the driveway alert and chime guide.
• Match the service-window side of the building to the lane approach with the sliding concession window guide.
• Review camera placement for the site and service area with the coffee kiosk security camera guide.
• Include indoor and outdoor equipment placement in the site plan with the coffee kiosk mini-split air conditioner guide.

What population and demographics support the site?

Put your site analysis into a plan

Our free coffee shop business plan outline has a location and trade-area section for traffic counts, visibility, drive-thru feasibility and trade-area demographics. Plus the due-diligence kit.

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The Human Bean’s August 28, 2024 guide states: “Household Income: Aim for neighborhoods with at least $60,000 per year in household income, though this can vary by region.” Preserve that regional caveat when evaluating trade-area data. The figure is one franchisor’s guidance, not an industry-wide income requirement; the sources here do not establish a universal population minimum.

The same guide specifies the physical site:

• “Land Footprint: The required land footprint is between 12,000 and 25,000 square feet.”
• “Building Footprint: The standard building footprint is 600 square feet.”
• “Utilities: The site must have access to power, water, sewer, and internet.”

These are The Human Bean’s published criteria, not dimensions or utility requirements for every coffee concept. Check whether the parcel can accommodate the intended building, access and queue before treating its total area as sufficient.

For occupancy-cost context, the National Restaurant Association’s September 3, 2025 analysis reports 2024 median occupancy costs for limited-service restaurants of 6.0% of sales in urban areas or city centers, 5.0% in suburban areas, and 3.2% in small communities or rural areas. These are occupancy costs, not rent alone, and cover limited-service restaurants generally rather than drive-thru coffee stands. Model the proposed site’s costs with the coffee shop startup cost calculator and cafe buildout cost calculator. Compare operating formats in the drive-thru coffee stand versus coffee shop guide.