In-N-Out opens at Fancher Creek in Fresno. ‘Been waiting a long time for this’

A long line of cars waited to enter the drive-thru of the newest In-N-Out Burger in Fresno moments before the burger joint even opened Wednesday morning.

“Been waiting a long time for this,” one of the first customers said to an In-N-Out employee after placing his order. “I’m glad you’re by this side of town.”

It’s been nearly two years since word spread that an In-N-Out would be built as part of the new Fancher Creek shopping center near the intersection of Clovis and Tulare avenues.

Along the way, folks had expressed excitement and optimism as well as pessimism whether it’d actually happen.

But there it was Wednesday, a shiny white 3,887-square-foot restaurant — and it was open for business.

“To say this is exciting is an understatement,” said Fresno City councilmember Brandon Vang, who represents the southeast Fresno area. “The community has been waiting for this a long time, and been waiting for this area to get developed.”

The In-N-Out at Fancher Creek becomes the fifth In-N-Out in the Fresno city limits, with 33 years spanning since the popular California chain opened its first location in Fresno with the restaurant off Shaw Avenue near Highway 99.

The lines were long, as expected, both inside and outside the new fast-food joint.

But this In-N-Out was built to accommodate lengthy lines with an extended drive-thru that wraps around the restaurant and is also widened for two lanes of traffic. Employees took customers’ orders before they reached the drive-thru window.

In addition, the Fancher Creek development team roped off areas of parking to help manage and direct the flow of traffic.

“We’ve put a lot of thought and a lot of planning into the long term,” said Denny Warnick, Chief Operating Officer for In-N-Out. “ It’s great for us to have a long drive-thru line. But it’s not always great for its neighbors or the community. We put thought into the parcels we acquire.

“This drive lane has a double cue. So we can have as many customers and their vehicles on our property without being a nuisance to anybody else. It’s really important to us to have a seamless and positive experience for the customers and the residents in the area.”

The new In-N-Out is part of a Fancher Creek shopping center anchored by a Target that’s considered the largest Target store in all of the central San Joaquin Valley, and a Sprouts grocery store.

Both opened this fall.

This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 1:36 PM.