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52-418: Service Merchandise's history can be traced to 1934, to a small five-and-dime store founded by Harry and Mary Zimmerman in the town of Pulaski , Tennessee . After leaving the wholesale business, they opened Service Merchandise, Inc., the first of what evolved into a chain of catalog showrooms. It opened in 1960 at 309 Broadway in downtown Nashville , Tennessee. During the 1970s and 1980s, Service Merchandise

104-669: A contraband camp in Pulaski to help house the freedmen and their families, feed them, and put them to work. In addition, education classes were started. The vicinity of Pulaski was the site of a number of skirmishes during the Franklin–Nashville Campaign . Union troops occupied the state from 1862, and hundreds of African Americans left plantations even before the Emancipation Proclamation to join their lines. In 1863, Confederate courier Sam Davis

156-439: A microphone and picked up in person at the window. A drive-through is different from a drive-in in several ways - the cars create a line and move in one direction in drive-throughs, and normally do not park , whereas drive-ins allow cars to park next to each other, the food is generally brought to the window by a server, called a carhop , and the customer can remain in the parked car to eat. However, during peak periods, to keep

208-991: A "Brew Thru" in the U.S. eastern Mid-Atlantic coast, or a " Pony Keg " or "Party Barn" in certain areas; generally illegal in the Northeast and West) During the COVID-19 pandemic , drive-through testing became a common approach around the world for testing people who were potentially infected with the virus. In 2020, drive-through testing facilities were set up in many countries to test whether passengers were infected with COVID-19 (the first being in South Korea). This approached allowed medical workers to process high volumes of tests quickly while reducing exposure and risk of infection between those being tested by keeping patients isolated in their vehicles. The process typically saw patients present their ID before being swabbed while remaining in their vehicles, before driving off once

260-664: A McDonald's drive-through, opened at the Nutgrove Shopping Centre in Dublin, Ireland, in 1985. In the US, drive-throughs account for 70 percent of McDonald's business and the average drive-through order is fulfilled in under three and one half minutes. Outside of the US, McDonald's drive-throughs are variously known as "McAuto", "McDrive" and "AutoMac". In 2010, the Casa Linda, Texas, franchise of McDonald's opened

312-553: A bypass route; it leads east 29 miles (47 km) to Fayetteville and west 18 miles (29 km) to Lawrenceburg . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.7 km ), all land. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 8,397 people, 3,189 households, and 1,746 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,871 people, 3,455 households, and 2,038 families residing in

364-483: A conveyor belt. This process was altered in the late 1980s to allow customers to place their own orders on a number of self-service computer kiosks named "Silent Sam", which the company later renamed "Service Express". In the mid-1980s, Service Merchandise experimented with the installation of drive-through windows at two showrooms (near Chicago and Nashville), allowing customers with phone-in orders to pick up their orders without leaving their automobiles. The concept

416-728: A dairy and eggs drive-through service in Redlands, California, in the early 1940s, supplying milk and eggs quickly and efficiently to driving customers; this utilized a dairy conveyor belt that Harold Willis had invented. Some supermarkets offer drive-through facilities for grocery shopping . In the UK, this service was first announced by Tesco in August 2010. In the United States, Crafty's Drive-Buy Grocery Store in Virginia started offering

468-495: A drive-through facility is open and other pedestrian-oriented customer entrances to the business are unavailable or locked, the drive-through facility must serve customers using modes other than a vehicle such as pedestrians and bicyclists." After one year, the Portland law was working well. The Willamette Week tested five locations, and in all cases customers without cars received satisfactory service: McDonald's first opened

520-541: A drive-through/walk-up-only store with no indoor seating although it has a small patio with tables. In 1928, City Center Bank, which became UMB Financial Corporation , president R. Crosby Kemper opened what is considered the first drive-up window. Shortly after the Grand National Bank in St Louis opened up a drive-through, including a slot to the side for night time deposits. Westminster Bank opened

572-509: A secret, hierarchical society devoted to suppressing freedmen and their white allies, and maintaining white supremacy . The white insurgents were determined to fight secretly against the political advancement of freedmen and of sympathetic whites. Chapters of the KKK quickly were organized in other parts of the state and the South. KKK members often attacked their victims at night, to increase

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624-546: A southward-flowing tributary of the Elk River . U.S. Route 31 passes through the center of Pulaski as First Street, leading north 30 miles (48 km) to Columbia and southeast 19 miles (31 km) to Ardmore at the Alabama border. U.S. Route 31 Alternate (E. Grigsby Street) leaves U.S. 31 in the north part of Pulaski and heads northeast 23 miles (37 km) to Lewisburg . U.S. Route 64 passes south of Pulaski on

676-515: A total customer wait of approximately 479.42 seconds (8 minutes). In 1921, Kirby's Pig Stand introduced the drive-in restaurant, in which carhops delivered meals. In 1931, a California Pig Stand franchise introduced a drive-through service that bypassed the carhops. The first identified drive-through restaurant was established in 1947 at Red's Giant Hamburg located in Springfield, Missouri . A year later in 1948, Harry and Esther Snyder of

728-473: Is located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district of Pulaski. The local newspaper is the Pulaski Citizen . Pulaski is home to two high schools, Giles County High School and Richland High School ( Lynnville ). Pulaski is also home to Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Pulaski (TCAT) and to University of Tennessee Southern . In 1903, Pulaski was home to

780-578: Is often sold through drive-through only coffee shops. According to QSR's 2024 annual survey, Taco Bell was the fastest fast-food chain in the United States regarding drive-thru service time, with an average wait of 194.16 seconds. This was significantly faster than the overall average of 244.86 seconds. Other chains with relatively fast service times included KFC (206.41 seconds) and McDonald's (271.81 seconds). Chick-fil-A , known for its long lines, had an average service time of 298.27 seconds, but also had an additional wait time of 181.15 seconds, resulting in

832-521: Is to offer extended service hours and maintain a safe environment for employees, such as a bulletproof walk-up window in high-crime areas. Similar issues can arise in rural areas for people on horseback or in a horse-drawn carriage. On 20 July 2013, a woman was fined for taking her horse inside a McDonald's restaurant in Greater Manchester , United Kingdom, after being refused service at the drive-through. The horse ended up defecating inside

884-635: The In-N-Out Burger chain built a drive-through restaurant, featuring a two-way speaker system that Harry Snyder invented himself earlier that year. By the 1970s, drive-through service had replaced drive-in restaurants in the United States. The first McDonald's drive-through was created in 1975 in Sierra Vista, Arizona , near Fort Huachuca , a military installation, to serve military members who were not permitted to get out of their cars off-post while wearing fatigues . The original McDonald's

936-832: The Pulaski Baseball Club , an independent Minor League Baseball team that played in the Tennessee–Alabama League . The Diana Singing, near Pulaski in Cornersville, is home of the semi-annual Diana Singing, sponsored by the Churches of Christ . The event attracts over 3,000 people to the area in June and September. The town was mentioned in the 1986 film Platoon by Chris Taylor, a character played by Charlie Sheen . Drive-through A drive-through or drive-thru (a sensational spelling of

988-743: The county seat of Giles County , which is located on the central-southern border of Tennessee , United States. The population was 8,397 at the 2020 census. It was named after Casimir Pulaski , a noted Polish-born general on the Patriot side in the American Revolutionary War . Pulaski was founded in 1809. During the Civil War , after the Union took control of Tennessee in 1862, thousands of African Americans left plantations and farms to join their lines for refuge. The Army set up

1040-413: The "open" message can be changed to a "closed" message when the lane is not available. A drive-through restaurant generally consists of: Drive-through designs differ from restaurant to restaurant; however, most drive-throughs can accommodate a queue of four to six passenger cars or trucks simultaneously. Most drive-through lanes are designed so the service windows and speaker are on the driver's side of

1092-510: The UK's first drive-through bank in Liverpool in 1959, soon followed by Ulster Bank opening Ireland's first in 1961 at Finaghy. In recent years, there has been a decline in drive-through banking due to increased traffic congestion and the increased availability of automated teller machines and telephone and internet banking. Many bank buildings now feature drive-through ATMs. Harold Willis and his father, Robert Willis, first incorporated

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1144-402: The US took 3 minutes and 15 seconds, with an average of 3.8 cars waiting at any one time. This figure rose to an average of 4 minutes 25 seconds in 2019. If the average motorist avoided idling for just 3 minutes every day of the year, CO 2 emissions would be reduced by 1.4 million tonnes annually, or the equivalent of taking 320,000 cars off the road. In response to emerging evidence of

1196-535: The UT System in 2021 to become the new campus under the University of Tennessee System . It is now known as University of Tennessee Southern and is a public university. Pulaski is located in central Giles County at 35°11′45″N 87°2′4″W  /  35.19583°N 87.03444°W  / 35.19583; -87.03444 (35.195786, -87.034328). The downtown area is on the north side of Richland Creek ,

1248-725: The area that is now known as Cool Springs . In May 1985, Service Merchandise acquired the H. J. Wilson Co. for approximately $ 200 million. Raymond Zimmerman, the CEO, was attracted to Wilson's stores to gain a stronger foothold in the Sun Belt states. Several of these Wilson's locations included an off-priced apparel department of about 15,000 square feet (1,400 m). Service Merchandise also had other wholly owned subsidiaries featuring retail stores, such as Zim's Jewelers, HomeOwners Warehouse (later called Mr. HOW Warehouse), The Lingerie Store and The Toy Store. The retailer also provided some of

1300-406: The average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city

1352-539: The car, for example, in left-hand traffic (right-hand drive) countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, India and New Zealand, the windows will be on the right side of the drive-through lane, and vice versa in right-hand traffic (left-hand drive) countries such as North America and mainland Europe. There are a few drive-through lanes designed with service windows on the passenger side, but these lanes are few and usually confined to ordinance compliance situations, as they cannot be used easily by driver-only vehicles. Coffee

1404-424: The catalog, even within the showrooms. Other chains such as Brendle's , Best Products , Sterling Jewelry & Distributing Company, and McDade's used this model. However, they too eventually suffered the same fate. The reason behind offering the catalog showroom approach to retailing was that it reduced the risk of merchandise theft, known in the industry as shrinkage , and also enabled customers to shop without

1456-428: The city. The population density was 1,200.8 inhabitants per square mile (463.6/km ). There were 3,888 housing units at an average density of 593.2 per square mile (229.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 70.40% White , 27.06% African American , 0.24% Native American , 0.85% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.23% from other races , and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of

1508-423: The drive-through to order food. Many establishments refuse drive-through service to pedestrians for safety, insurance, and liability reasons. Cyclists are also usually refused service with the same justification given. However, in the summer of 2009, Burgerville gave use of the drive-through window to bicyclists. Some companies provide a walk-up window instead when a drive-through may not be practical. However,

1560-557: The grounds of environmental and health concerns from engine idling. Long drive-through lines in the United States have been reported to cause traffic backups, blocking emergency vehicles and city buses and increasing the risk of collisions and pedestrian injuries. The popularity of Chick-fil-A 's drive-throughs in particular has led to traffic problems, police interventions, and complaints by neighboring businesses in more than 20 states. Some other examples of drive-through businesses include: Pedestrians sometimes attempt to walk through

1612-434: The inconvenience of physically dragging purchases throughout the store. For non-jewelry orders, customers would enter the showroom and receive a carbon-paper order form and clipboard to record the catalog numbers of desired items. Items were displayed in working order in the showroom, allowing customers to test products as they shopped. Current Service Merchandise catalogs were placed on stands in strategic locations throughout

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1664-467: The intimidation of threats and assaults. Other incidents of racial violence against blacks also took place. The Pulaski riot was a race riot initiated against blacks that took place in the city in the winter of 1868, following a heated election season. Martin Methodist College was founded in Pulaski in 1870 as a private college for white students. Martin Methodist College was merged with

1716-453: The local municipality for customer transactions. An example is when McDonald's entered a new market in Russia where the majority of families did not own cars, the owners developed the walk-up windows as an alternative. Some establishments may want to use walk-up windows to attract certain customer demographics such as younger customers who need quick service during late night. Another reason

1768-720: The nation. Raymond Zimmerman, son of the original founders, resigned as chairman of the board in November 2000. The company attempted to pull itself out of bankruptcy once again in summer 2001, but the economic downturn following the September 11 attacks proved to be a hurdle the company could not clear. With only 200 catalog showrooms remaining, the stock was valued at less than one cent per share. With no profitability in sight, Service Merchandise ceased operations and shuttered all of its remaining stores by early 2002. Service Merchandise had an unusual ordering process that emphasized

1820-409: The population. There were 3,455 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and

1872-469: The prizes on Classic Concentration on NBC , and Shop 'til You Drop and Shopping Spree . The company lost market share in its housewares and electronics sectors to giant discounters, such as Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond , and later Best Buy and Circuit City . Although Service Merchandise was early to embrace the Internet in the 1990s, generating tens of millions of dollars in sales, it

1924-412: The process of changing its retail format, a group of creditors forced an involuntary petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 on March 15, 1999, seeking court supervision of the company's restructuring. The company later filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition to improve relations with its vendors and creditors in an effort to stabilize its business. At the time, it was one of the top ten bankruptcy cases in

1976-408: The queue down and avoid traffic flow problems, drive-throughs occasionally switch to an "order at the window, then park in a designated space" model where the customer will receive their food from an attendant when it is ready to be served. This results in a perceived relationship between the two service models. Drive-throughs have generally replaced drive-ins in popular culture, and are now found in

2028-500: The restaurant which caused distress to other customers. In May 2016, Scott Magee filed a United States federal class action lawsuit pursuing action against McDonald's due to the company being unwilling to serve people who are visually impaired , when only the drive-through lane is open. On 24 May 2018 a law came into effect in Portland, Oregon , requiring multi-modal access to drive-throughs. The new zoning law states, "When

2080-428: The role that drive-throughs play in contributing to climate change , Minneapolis banned the construction of new drive-throughs in 2019, while a number of other US cities, including Creve Coeur, MO; Fair Haven, NJ; Long Beach, CA; and Orchard Park, NY, have enacted ordinances to restrict or prohibit fast-food drive-through restaurants. Outside the US, a total of 27 municipalities have banned drive-through restaurants on

2132-635: The service. In 2012, the Dutch chain Albert Heijn introduced a "Pick Up Point" where one can collect groceries bought online. Dairy products were available at a drive-through dairy store (notably the Skinner Dairy shops of North-East Florida or Dairy Barn in Long Island ). Alcoholic beverages have been sold at a drive-through liquor store (called a "Beer Through", a "Cruise Through",

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2184-404: The store to allow customers to shop for items not on display. When ready to place their orders, customers would take the order form to a clerk, who would submit the order to the store's stockroom via his computer-terminal cash register, as well as take payment for the items. The customer would then move to the "Merchandise Pickup Area" near the exit, where the order would emerge from the stockroom on

2236-429: The test was complete. Their results were then typically shared with them either via text message or via their doctor. In recent years, drive-through restaurants and other drive-through facilities have faced increased scrutiny due to the higher levels of emissions that they create – compared to walk-in equivalents. A 2018 study by QSR Magazine found that the average waiting time at a McDonald's drive-through restaurant in

2288-407: The vast majority of modern American fast food chains . Sometimes, a store with a drive-through is referred to as a "drive-through", or the term is attached to the service, such as, "drive-through restaurant". or "drive-through bank". Drive-throughs typically have signs over the drive-through lanes to show customers which lanes are open for business. The types of signage used is usually illuminated so

2340-428: The walk-up windows should not be confused with small establishments that customers are lined up for services such as mobile kitchens , kiosks , or concession stands . These walk-up windows are value-added services on top of the full services provided inside the stores. Since the COVID-19 pandemic an increasing number of restaurants, including bakeries and pizzerias, have introduced sliding windows that are licensed by

2392-443: The word through ), is a type of take-out service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was pioneered in the United States in the 1930s, and has since spread to other countries. A drive-up window teller was installed at the Grand National Bank of St. Louis, Missouri , in 1930. The drive-up teller allowed only deposits at that time. Orders are generally placed using

2444-478: Was $ 27,459, and the median income for a family was $ 37,219. Males had a median income of $ 30,400 versus $ 21,714 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 16,751. About 12.7% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over. Abernathy Field is a public-use airport owned by the City of Pulaski and Giles County. It

2496-497: Was a leading catalog-showroom retailer. At its peak, the company achieved more than $ 4 billion in annual sales. As the company expanded, it began to open showrooms nationwide, mostly in the vicinity of major shopping malls, which were in vogue in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, the Service Merchandise headquarters moved from Nashville to nearby Brentwood , Tennessee, becoming one of the first businesses to plant itself in

2548-622: Was closed down and demolished in 1999 and a new McDonald's replaced it. In 1987, Bob Charles pioneered the concept of the double vehicle drive-through. Charles, a McDonald's franchisee based in Boulder, Colorado, was the first to design and implement this innovation, which resulted in significantly increased per-unit volume. In 1981, Max Hamburgers opened Northern Europe's first drive-in in Piteå . Another early drive-through restaurant in Europe,

2600-660: Was hanged in Pulaski by the Union Army on suspicion of espionage. After the war, in late 1865, six Tennessee veterans of the Confederate Army founded a secret society, later known as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). This was the first chapter. These men, John C. Lester, John B. Kennedy, James R. Crowe, Frank O. McCord, Richard R. Reed, and J. Calvin Jones, established the KKK on December 25, 1865. They created rules for

2652-525: Was not enough to offset the damage done by the mega-chain stores springing up nationwide. Gary M. Witkin was appointed to the new position of president and chief operating officer in 1994. The company responded to the market pressures with a series of restructuring plans that included the discontinuation of unprofitable product lines, including electronics, toys and sporting goods, and refocusing on jewelry, gifts and home decor products. Many of its showrooms were also closed or downsized significantly. While in

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2704-483: Was not expanded beyond its test stores, but remained in place at those locations. Service Merchandise was a large corporate donor to the Muscular Dystrophy Association . Chairman/CEO Raymond Zimmerman would appear multiple times on the yearly Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon to present donations on behalf of the company and its customers. Pulaski, Tennessee Pulaski is a city in and

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