On Friday, March 5, it was announced that the City of Yorba Linda closed escrow with In-N-Out Burger, and thanks to over a year of preparation and planning, the company was ready to launch right into the construction phase. The project is taking shape on property occupied by the former public library and soil remediation equipment.

While many patrons have experienced In-N-Out Burger’s iconic locations, the company is bringing a fresh restaurant design to Yorba Linda that includes a large covered outdoor dining patio and a drive-thru lane with a significantly expanded capacity to eliminate traffic on Imperial Highway.

Because of the location of the new fast food restaurant, Yorba Linda city officials are already studying traffic impacts for an In-N-Out Burger restaurant planned for property now occupied by the public library and soil remediation equipment on Imperial Highway between Lemon Drive and Olinda Street. “In addition to the Lemon Drive and Olinda Street entrances to the project, eight nearby intersections were reviewed, with “no significant traffic impacts” found, based on a city-established standard, so “no mitigation measures will be required.” (OC Register).

The plan to make it a 4,000-square-foot facility proposed for the 1.5-acre site is expected to draw more traffic than the library, especially during the eatery’s peak hours. It is said to be designed according to the company’s “urban design” plan and will be similar to the La Habra restaurant on Lambert Road. Because of the odd structure of the land, it is going to be an unusual site to design so the team will require a retaining wall because of the different elevations. The Yorba Linda restaurant’s drive-thru lane is designed to fit 30 vehicles at a time, which surpasses the projected queuing need identified in a traffic impact analysis.

In addition to how much business the new In-N-Out will bring, there will be more job opportunities for people all over the city. Since our employment rate is linked to economic growth with the reduction in the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the proportion of unemployed persons in the labor force. Unemployment adversely affects the disposable income of families, erodes purchasing power, diminishes employee morale, and reduces an economy’s output. The new In-N-Out is presumed to net 3.5 million dollars.

Lexzy Foroozandeh (12) is excited because “It is so much closer and bigger which will be more convenient, although it will be difficult when it comes to traffic.” The plan is for In-N-Out’s new Yorba Linda location to open its doors this fall!