California burger chain In-N-Out filed an application Feb. 16 for the Ridgefield location, shown in this rendering. (Photo contributed by the City of Ridgefield)
Clark County residents craving an animal-style cheeseburger are in luck. California fast food chain In-N-Out filed an application earlier this month for the Ridgefield location.
The restaurant will be the first In-N-Out restaurant in Washington, according to planning documents filed with the city of Ridgefield. The company plans to build near the Ridgefield Costco under construction at Union Ridge Town Center on Pioneer Street, just west of Interstate 5.
The city expects the In-N-Out building to be a “really unique, high-quality” design that complements Ridgefield and In-N-Out, said Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stewart.
Stewart said the company has not given the city any indication about when the new restaurant will open.
Editor's Note: Location is approximate as exact address is not yet available.
a map
Mike Abate, Vice President of Store Development at At home and abroadThe Ridgefield site is still very early in the development process, he said.
“We are hopeful for a positive outcome as we work with the city to obtain our permits and approvals,” he said.
In-N-Out restaurants typically take 8 to 9 months to open once construction begins, Abbate said.
He added: “It would be too early to comment on a timeline for an opening date or when we will even get approval for the development application.”
“We look forward to the possibility of being part of the Ridgefield community and having such a great location to serve our customers,” Abbate said.
Union Ridge Town Center's openings, including In-N-Out, will not depend on Costco's opening, Stewart said. The Columbian previously reported that Costco expects to open its third warehouse in Clark County by the end of the year.
Road construction around the shopping center is already underway and is expected to be completed this fall.
The city is moving forward with the Pioneer Street widening project, with bids scheduled to go out in April with work to begin in June.
an offer
In-N-Out envisions a 4,354-square-foot building with a covered patio and 76 parking stalls. The restaurant will also include a food court capable of accommodating 46 cars, according to planning documents. For comparison, the Chick-fil-A location in Cascade Park has a double-stacked drive-thru across the line at about half that capacity.
Documents show In-N-Out plans to be open from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
In-N-Out expects the location to have between 10 and 15 employees per shift with three shifts per day.
The restaurant chain worked with the city of Ridgefield to get to the application stage, according to planning documents.
The location will not be a typical In-N-Out design but will instead incorporate dark colors and different building materials as desired by the city.
In-N-Out is a cultural icon in California, long known for its simple, affordable menu.
The 76-year-old fast food chain serves burgers, cheeseburgers, milkshakes and fries. Burgers can be prepared in a number of ways from the restaurant's “Not So Secret” menu. Customers can customize the burger with two patties, with three or four patties and slices of cheese, no meat, no bun or serve it animal style – a mustard patty cooked with pickles, extra spread and grilled onions.
Long queues
The closest In-N-Out to Clark County is in Keizer, Ore., just outside of Salem. Although the restaurant chain proposed several restaurants in the Portland metro area, none of them came to fruition.
In-N-Out first opened in Oregon in 2015 with a location in Medford. There are also locations in Roseburg and Grants Pass.
When the Oregon locations opened, people stood in line all night to get an In-N-Out burger.
Teenagers in Clark County have long made a pilgrimage to the fast food chain through the so-called In-N-Out Challenge. Before the locations opened in Oregon, adventurous teens would leave right after the noon bell, drive to the nearest location in Redding, California, get burgers and T-shirts and then drive back before school the next morning.
In-N-Out's Oregon locations are known for their long lines. Even in California, lines stretch around In-N-Out buildings.
The company currently has 401 locations in California, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Texas.
Shari Viel contributed to this story.
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