McDonough, GA zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in McDonough, GA?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: C-3, M-1.
It is not allowed in 13 districts: C-1, C-2, M-2, MU, OI, R-60, R-75, R-85, R-100, R-200, RA, RM-75, RTD.
1 district is not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-1 | Not allowed | Use table 'Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration': blank (non-drive-thru restaurants are P in C-1, C-2, C-3, MU). Blank cell. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C-2 | Not allowed | Use table 'Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration': blank (non-drive-thru restaurants are P in C-1, C-2, C-3, MU). Blank cell. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C-3 | By right | Use table 'Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration': P in C-3 and M-1 (supplemental standards 17.100.140). Permitted with supplemental standards (not read). Column alignment verified with the single-family row. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| M-1 | By right | Use table 'Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration': P in C-3 and M-1 (supplemental standards 17.100.140). Permitted with supplemental standards (not read). Column alignment verified with the single-family row. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| M-2 | Not allowed | Use table 'Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration': blank (non-drive-thru restaurants are P in C-1, C-2, C-3, MU). Blank cell. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| MU | Not allowed | Use table 'Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration': blank (non-drive-thru restaurants are P in C-1, C-2, C-3, MU). Blank cell. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| OI | Not allowed | Use table 'Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration': blank (non-drive-thru restaurants are P in C-1, C-2, C-3, MU). Blank cell. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| PUD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| R-60 | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-75 | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-85 | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-100 | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-200 | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RA | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-75 | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RTD | Not allowed | Restaurants with a drive-thru configuration: blank in residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table; Sec. 17.100.140 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
"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.
Sources
How to confirm before you buy
- Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
- Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
- 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.