Orangeburg County (unincorporated), SC zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Orangeburg County (unincorporated), SC?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: BI, CG, CN, RC.
It is not allowed in 4 districts: FA, RG, RO, RS.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI | By right | Use table 'Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins' (NAICS 7221-2): P in CN, CG, BI, RC; N in RS, RG, RO, FA. P = permitted. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CG | By right | Use table 'Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins' (NAICS 7221-2): P in CN, CG, BI, RC; N in RS, RG, RO, FA. P = permitted. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CN | By right | Use table 'Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins' (NAICS 7221-2): P in CN, CG, BI, RC; N in RS, RG, RO, FA. P = permitted. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| FA | Not allowed | Use table 'Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins': N in RS, RG, RO, FA. N = not permitted. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RC | By right | Use table 'Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins' (NAICS 7221-2): P in CN, CG, BI, RC; N in RS, RG, RO, FA. P = permitted. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RG | Not allowed | Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins: N in RS and RG. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table (NAICS 7221-2) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RO | Not allowed | Use table 'Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins': N in RS, RG, RO, FA. N = not permitted. | Zoning Ordinance use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RS | Not allowed | Eating Places, Including Drive-Ins: N in RS and RG. Residential district. | Zoning Ordinance use table (NAICS 7221-2) | 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.