Another State Finally Got In-N-Out, and Customers Waited in Eight Hour Lines

In-N-Out Burger, the fabled fast food chain rooted in California and some of the Southwest, has opened its first location in Idaho. Fast food junkies were so excited for a taste of the chain’s ultra-simple, remarkably fresh menu that some waited over eight hours in line. It’s the second fast food restaurant, after CosMc’s, to open in the country this week that’s accrued mind-numbing wait times.

The new location, which is the chain’s 400th, opened its doors on Tuesday in the Boise suburb of Merdian after months of anticipation. A few customers even spent Monday night in their vehicles amidst freezing temperatures so they could be the first inside, via The Idaho Statesman. There were already hundreds of people in the queue when the store opened at 9 a.m., 90 minutes earlier than its usual opening time.

Even In-N-Out employees were shocked by the rabid response. Diego Lopez, who works at a location in Yucaipa, CA, drove with a friend from Salt Lake City to attend the opening. They woke in the middle of the night to make the drive and were somewhat deflated when they discovered more than 50 parties already lined up. Many of them, Lopez noted, were “tenting out.”

Two locals, Dennis and Doris Du Bois (both 81), dropped by the restaurant not because they were hungry, but simply to investigate the happening. “It’s kind of a big event,” Dennis told the Statesman.

“They have really good quality food and it’s inexpensive compared to a lot of places,” Doris added.

However, some people weren’t swayed by the hype. Roque Hernandez, coaxed to the site by his boss with the promise of a free burger, wasn’t sure he’d wait it out. “I don’t think I’ll stay here that long. It’s a pretty big line,” Hernandez told Idaho Press. “It’s pretty exciting having one here… I just wish it was maybe a different location with not as much traffic already.”

Idaho marks the eighth state in which In-N-Out has locations. George Charlesworth, the brand’s Vice President of Operations, reported to Idaho Press that while the chain is always looking to expand, its emphasis on fresh food means restaurants must be within a certain radius of an In-N-Out meat distribution facility. The slow rollout seems to be working in the restaurant’s favor, though. Its sparse locations only serve to increase its hype and, apparently, its waiting times.