In-N-Out is Headed for Texas

Late last month, D Magazine’s food blogger Nancy Nichols broke the news that beloved Southern California fast food institution In-N-Out Burger is moving into the Dallas/Fort Worth market with a new location in Garland’s Firewheel Town Center. After years of informal titterings about a Lone Star expansion, this will be In-N-Out’s first location in Texas.

On May 26, Nancy Luna of The Orange County Register got confirmation of the burger chain’s Texas invasion. “Yes, we are working on a few locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth market and Garland is one of them,” In-N-Out planning and development VP Carl Van Fleet told Luna. “While we are very enthusiastic about the opportunities there, our Dallas area plans are still in the early stages.”

Because Garland is a 1,400-mile drive from In-N-Out’s Baldwin Park, Calif. commissary, the company plans to construct a new one in Texas. “It is far enough away that we will have to open a new one there as we remain committed to making our own hamburger patties and maintaining the same operating philosophies and standards that have been in place for 62 years,” Van Fleet said.

While Dallas/Fort Worth is the only Texas market In-N-Out has officially targeted thus far, I doubt they would build a whole new commissary here without having bigger plans for Texas down the line. With D/FW as a beachhead, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see In-N-Out move into the California expat-rich suburbs of Austin in the next few years.