Fans of the In-N-Out Burger franchise camped out overnight and endured an up to eight-hour wait Tuesday to eat at the franchise’s first restaurant in Idaho, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Marvin and Jackie Mejia, both originally from California but currently Idaho residents, shared their enthusiasm over the new restaurant’s opening with the Idaho Statesman. (RELATED: In-N-Out Burger Reportedly Bans Employees From Wearing Masks Without Doctor’s Note)
In-N-Out Burger just opened at The Village at Meridian. The drive-thru wait? Up to 8 hours https://t.co/xssLpAmag6
— Idaho Statesman (@IdahoStatesman) December 13, 2023
“We’ve been waiting for this day since April,” Jackie told the outlet. Jackie and Marvin reportedly ended up ordering a cheeseburger with two patties and slices of cheese, a cheeseburger with four patties and slices of cheese, five regular cheeseburgers and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Marvin said the long lines and traffic would not stop him from coming back, the Idaho Statesman reported. Denny Warnick, the chief operating officer at In-N-Out, said the restaurant will employ around local 80 workers at a starting wage of $17.50, but for the opening of the restaurant, the company brought in an “all-star team” of 130 employees from across the United States, according to the Idaho Statesman.
“We wanted to be prepared in the case that we’re blessed with long lines. We have a lot of associates just dedicated to helping traffic flow through the parking lot,” Warnick told the outlet.
The southern Californian-based fast food franchise has plans to expand its reach to other states. Back in November, the restaurant announced it was planning to open a restaurant in New Mexico by 2027, USA Today reported.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee praised In-N-Out in a video on Twitter, saying the company is “a great American company, an iconic brand” because it decided to plant “their first corporate hub in the eastern United States” in his state.
Breaking News — Welcome to Tennessee, @innoutburger! pic.twitter.com/hZCsRth1Sr
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) January 10, 2023