By Nicholas Bender
In-N-Out Burger, the popular west coast burger chain, recently confirmed plans to open its first location in Utah and prepares to break ground this month, though farther from Provo than some students might have hoped.
'We are happy to confirm tentative plans to open a store in Washington, Utah,' Customer Service Representative Katherine Stock wrote in a statement.
Exciting as it may be for students who have had to wait for trips to Las Vegas to feast on In-N-Out''s trademark burgers, fries and shakes, the question remains: Where is Washington?
For In-N-Out fans, the good news is that the new location will be closer than the Las Vegas location. The bad news? It''s still over four hours away.
A town of about 10,000 just north of St. George, Washington may seem like an unlikely choice. But for Jan Harmon, a Washington resident of six years, the location couldn''t be any better. Harmon has tried for years to entice In-N-Out to build in her town ever since moving from Las Vegas.
'I have emailed them several times to see if they would come here,' she said. 'It''s a major intersection right off Interstate 15. I think it would be a great spot. But they would never commit.'
Perhaps thanks in part to her efforts, the tight-lipped, privately owned family company finally selected Washington for their first foray into Utah territory. Despite recent delays, construction is scheduled to begin this month, according to Washington Mayor Terril Clove.
'Their plan was approved by the planning committee,' Clove said. 'They have purchased land. They have had their trademark palm trees there for months. They''re supposed to break ground this month.'
Though Clove has never eaten at In-N-Out Burger, he has seen residents'' enthusiasm at the news of its opening.
'It must be celestial food,' he said. 'St. George has been envious. I don''t know why they chose Washington, but they did.'
In-N-Out has been steadily growing since its founding in 1948 and attributes its success to a rather simple formula.
'We''ve been doing the same thing for 56 years with a limited menu and an emphasis on freshness,' said Carl Vanfleet, Vice President of Planning and General Manager.
But this emphasis on freshness comes at a price. Because In-N-Out Burger delivers all its food fresh everyday, some speculate that the chain, which doesn''t franchise, can expand only as fast as its warehouse locations.
'We grow slowly,' said Vanfleet. 'We''re not ready to make a 300-mile round trip delivery to our next nearest store.'
Once construction begins, it could take four months or longer, depending on the weather, before the store will open.
'Bad weather could delay us four to five weeks if we''re trying to build in a mud hole,' Vanfleet said. 'I''m thinking we''ll be done by early spring or summer.'
For Harmon, who''s been a fan since living near the Las Vegas store, that may not be soon enough.
'I wish they''d hurry up because I could use one right now,' Harmon said.