How much would they actually allow me to buy at the drive-thru?

I doubt there is any specific limit, although the larger the order, the more likely they would require advance notice.

This much.

How many could I order before management or whoever say ”Sorry Sir, we can fill your order”?

Hypo_, you need to proofread before you post.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard DAAAAAANG!!! That was so dope…...that ought to be on Man vs. Food. That is like the ultimate tailgate meal. But they only ordered 15, I wondered if they wanted 150 what would have happened?

@FutureMemory Sugar rush…I was off my meds…...I snorted the wrong powder….er….um…..you know what I meant.

The Team Member Recognition Department at work used to order breakfast sandwiches to hand out to all of the employees a couple of times a year. Considering that there were ~1200 employees at the site, the dept. probably placed an order for around 800, but did so in advance.

As for the drive-thru, I don’t know what the magic cut-off number is, but would be willing to bet that the person placing the order is going to be asked to get out of the queue and wait for it.

I used to work at a McD.. The walk-in was filed with boxes of meat, and we could order a truck load 24 hours in advance. The grill could handle at least 60 burgers at a time and we’d throw them down by the dozen. “6 cheese on 12”. Many facilities have multiple grills so one can be cleaned while the other is operating. Look how many they make and serve during the lunch rush. 6–12 per minute is not out of the question. The manager can pull people from other tasks to handle the load.
If you are willing to pay and wait, they are willing to fill your vehicle.

Your sugar level is low and you are hungry!

GQ

@Pied_Pfeffer I don’t know what the magic cut-off number is, but would be willing to bet that the person placing the order is going to be asked to get out of the queue and wait for it. I win the Mega Millions and I have more cash than Bubba Gump Scrimp I pull up to the window and I say “I want 531 __________ burgers, 70 w/o pickles, 120 without lettus, and 90 plain” they would actually make it even if it took hours? Would they even have the capacity to fill the order? What if filling the order would take 90% of their stock on hand, how would they remain open if they had no more burgers, or at least their flagship burgers?

Fast food restaurants are in the business of making a profit, so I would hope that the manager would be wise enough to quickly assess the situation, including available outside resources, and do their best to accommodate the order. If it is a chain and there are other sister establishments in the area, even if it is owned by someone else, they can call on them to help with the replenishing of supplies.

There comes a point though where they would need to realize that they could not fulfill one large order that would prevent them from accommodating other customers. In this case, I would hope that the manager would inform the customer that they can handle X amount of the order, and ___ location X miles away can take care of the rest if they want it faster. If they don’t want to drive to another location, it take X hours to fill the order. That way, the customer has the choice to opt for either of these choices or cancel the order altogether.

Or maybe the manager could ask if they all need to be hamburgers? They might be able to accommodate the order if X are burgers and X are chicken sandwiches.