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Zoning Library › Georgia › Alpharetta, GA

Alpharetta, GA zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed

Fulton County · 34 districts on file · last read 2026-11-15 · data.json

Is a drive-thru allowed in Alpharetta, GA?

A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: C-2, L-I.

It needs a conditional or special use approval in: C-1, CUP, O-I, O-I HP, PSC.

It is not allowed in 19 districts: AG, AG HP, O-P, OSR, R, R-4A, R-4A/D, R-4D, R-8A, R-8A/D, R-8D, R-10, R-10M, R-12, R-15, R-15 HP, R-22, RE, SU.

8 districts are not confirmed yet.

Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district

DistrictDrive-thru restaurantWhat the code saysSectionSourceRead on
AGNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
AG HPNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).
historic preservation overlay (HP) - design review		UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
C-1Conditional"t. Restaurant, with Drive-thru Window." (conditional use by City Council)
Plain restaurant by right; min lot 30,000 sf		UDC 2.2.14 C.2.tzoneomics.com2026-11-15
C-2By right"ii. Restaurant w/ Drive-thru Window." (by right list)
No stacking/residential distance rule found in text read		UDC 2.2.15 A.2.ii; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
CUPConditional"vv. Restaurant, with Drive-thru window." (only if in CUP conditions/concept plan)
Requires CUP rezoning/master plan; C-1 uses max 10% of CUP		UDC 2.2.11 C.2.vv; Table 2.2 Mzoneomics.com2026-11-15
DT-CNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
DT-LWNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
DT-LW HPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
DT-MUNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
DT-MU HPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
DT-RNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
DT-R HPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
L-IBy right"bbb. Restaurant w/ Drive-thru Window." (by right list)UDC 2.2.17 A.2.bbb; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
MUNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.zoneomics.com2026-11-15
O-IConditional"dd. Restaurant, with Drive-thru window." (conditional use by City Council)
Subordinate use: max 25% of project, master plan, min 25 ac		UDC 2.2.13 D.2.ddzoneomics.com2026-11-15
O-I HPConditional"dd. Restaurant, with Drive-thru window." (conditional use by City Council)
Subordinate use: max 25% of project, master plan, min 25 ac; historic preservation overlay (HP) - design review		UDC 2.2.13 D.2.ddzoneomics.com2026-11-15
O-PNot allowed"f. Restaurant without drive-thru." (conditional list)
Only sit-down restaurant, conditional		UDC 2.2.12 C.1.fzoneomics.com2026-11-15
OSRNot allowedNot listed in OS-R uses.UDC 2.2.18zoneomics.com2026-11-15
PSCConditional"y. Restaurant w/Drive-thru window." (conditional, approved master plan)
Master plan; 10-acre minimum		UDC 2.2.16 B.2.yzoneomics.com2026-11-15
RNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-4ANot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-4A/DNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-4DNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-8ANot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-8A/DNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-8DNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-10Not allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-10MNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-12Not allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-15Not allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-15 HPNot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).
historic preservation overlay (HP) - design review		UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
R-22Not allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
RENot allowedNo restaurant use listed (Table 2.2 blank).UDC 2.2.1-2.2.10; Table 2.2zoneomics.com2026-11-15
SUNot allowedNot listed in SU uses.UDC 2.2.19zoneomics.com2026-11-15

"By right" means permitted with site plan and building permit review only. Overlay districts, planned developments (PD/PUD) and conditions attached to a past rezoning can change the answer for a single parcel.

Official zoning map layer

To find the district for a parcel, query the jurisdiction's own GIS zoning layer: https://alphagis.alpharetta.ga.us/arcgis/rest/services/ZoningDistricts/MapServer/0 (district field: ZoningDistrict)

City of Alpharetta zoning districts. 'HP' suffix = historic preservation overlay on the base district. Code: UDC Sec. 2.2 + Table 2.2 and Downtown Code App. A, read on Zoneomics (table columns re-aligned by hand).

Sources

How to confirm before you buy

  1. Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
  2. Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
  3. Call the planning office and ask whether a drive-thru restaurant needs anything beyond site plan review at that address.

Why this library exists

I'm Luke Smith. I find land for drive-thru brands like 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Starbucks, sign the tenant, build the shop and sell it as a net lease property. Every deal starts with the same question: is the use allowed here without a rezoning? Getting that answer takes too long, so we read the codes (with AI research help), and I publish what we find with a link back to every source so you can check it yourself.

If you have a site that fits a drive-thru, or you want to learn how these deals are put together, join the free Reverse Deal Finder community on Skool, see cap rates and land prices by brand, or call 1-760-392-1525. Brokers welcome: I pay commissions.