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In-N-Out opens first Washington restaurant
In-N-Out has opened its first restaurant in Washington state, in the town of Ridgefield.
RIDGEFIELD, Wash. - In-N-Out Burger opened its very first location in Washington state on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
What we know:
Although it was set to open at 10:30 a.m., the restaurant actually opened two hours early to accommodate the hundreds of people that started lining up overnight in the drive-thru, FOX 13 Seattle reports.
The new In-N-Out Burger is located at 5801 N. Pioneer Canyon Drive, and it will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., and until 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The restaurant features a single drive-thru, indoor seating for 73, and outdoor seating for 28.
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Clint Ford, a 26-year veteran of In-N-Out, will manage the restaurant, according to In-N-Out's website. The restaurant will employ approximately 80 In-N-Out Burger Associates upon opening, with a starting wage of $18.75 per hour.
Originally set to open in July, the launch was delayed to address traffic concerns.
Ridgefield is located about 152 miles south of Seattle.
What they're saying:
FOX 12 Oregon spoke with Milton resident Kevin Kehn, who was the first driver in line. He told FOX 13 Seattle he had been in line with his dog since 8:16 p.m. Tuesday.
"So I travel a lot for work. So anytime there is an In-N-Out Burger in the area, I always stop there," Kehn said.
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What's next:
Local officials said law enforcement will enforce rules to keep cars off nearby streets and highways.
The backstory:
In-N-Out was founded by Harry Snyder in Baldwin Park in 1948 as California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand.
The chain then expanded to locations across the Golden State and in 1992, In-N-Out opened its first restaurant outside California when it opened in Nevada.
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In-N-Out currently operates more than 400 locations across nine states - California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, and Washington.
Local perspective:
Last month, In-N-Out President and CEO Lynsi Snyder announced she is moving her family out of California and relocating to Tennessee.
Snyder announced the move as the chain is working to open an office and several locations in the Volunteer State.
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Earlier this year, In-N-Out also announced that it would be moving its corporate headquarters from Irvine back to Baldwin Park, where the restaurant was founded in 1948. While the original plan was to close the Irvine office by 2029, Snyder said in her recent interview that In-N-Out would be closing the Irvine office by 2030, instead.
Snyder said that the majority of In-N-Out restaurants would still be in California. In May, the company announced seven new restaurants were coming across the U.S., with four of them in California. Other locations are being planned in Washington and New Mexico as well.
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Snyder took over the chain 15 years ago.
The Source: This report is based on information from official restaurant announcements and statements from officials, and previous FOX 11 reports. It includes details provided by FOX 13 Seattle regarding the opening day, including direct quotes from the first customer in line, and information on traffic rules provided by local law enforcement.