In-N-Out Burger submits plans to open second Huntington Beach location
Whether a customer gets it “protein style,” “animal style” or anything in-between, the Double-Double is the signature burger at In-N-Out.
The popular fast-food chain now hopes to double its number of locations in Huntington Beach.
In-N-Out Burger has submitted building plans to the city for a new restaurant at 7902 Edinger Ave., across the street from the Bella Terra outdoor mall and near the busy intersection of Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue.
The existing Wells Fargo bank at the location would be demolished, and an approximately 3,580-square-foot restaurant would be constructed, according to online records.
The location would be In-N-Out’s second in Surf City, joining the location at 18062 Beach Blvd.
“I think it’s going to work really well in that location,” Huntington Beach City Manager Oliver Chi said. “It’s an approved land use, so there’s no discretionary permits that have to go through Planning Commission. What they need to do is get their building plans approved, ultimately, by the city. Once their building plans are approved, they’ll be issued all the [demolition], grading and building permits to start constructing the facility.”
Huntington Beach Director of Community Development Ursula Luna-Reynosa said the prospective property’s long and narrow composition allows for a long car queue.
Lines of cars routinely spill over into an adjacent shopping center at the franchise’s current Huntington Beach location, sometimes reaching Talbert Avenue.
“Obviously traffic and circulation will be something that staff’s looking at, but all of the preliminary stuff seems positive at this point,” Chi said.
The board voted Thursday to have the event return in-person this summer, with limited attendance and fewer rides.
Luna-Reynosa said multiple In-N-Outs in close proximity wouldn’t necessarily hurt the restaurant’s business. She compared the situation to Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, which opened its first California location in Costa Mesa in 2015.
The restaurant was typically packed, with the line of cars stretching onto Harbor Boulevard, but opening a location in Huntington Beach in May 2020 helped alleviate some of that.
“The idea is that this new In-N-Out is actually going to take a lot of pressure off of the existing In-N-Out,” Luna-Reynosa said.
Carl Arena, In-N-Out Burger vice president of real estate and development, did not answer specific questions about traffic flow or the number of parking spaces but said in an email that the company is committed to being a good neighbor at both its current locations and prospective sites.
“Throughout the planning process our intent is to be sure that any concerns are satisfied and to make any necessary adjustments in the hope that our business is nothing but a positive presence in the community,” Arena said.
He added that if and when construction is approved, it usually takes five to six months to build the restaurant and open for business.
Huntington Beach resident Amanda Olson said she will look forward to that day.
“I’ve always appreciated In-N-Out because they’re just really on it in terms of big, long lines,” she said. “They know how to manage a flow of people … I still don’t know what animal style is, but I get it every time.”
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