Is new In-N-Out Burger drive-thru still coming to Fresno? Here’s what restaurant says
Is In-N-Out Burger ever coming to southeast Fresno?
Talk of the fast food drive-thru and its animal-style burgers and fries has been circulating for months, but there’s no physical sign of the restaurant yet.
The neighborhood started buzzing about the popular California favorite almost a year ago, after Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez announced on Facebook that In-N-Out was coming to the future Fancher Creek shopping center at Clovis and Tulare avenues.
So is it still coming?
All signs point to yes.
But like an In-N-Out drive-thru line, it’s a process that can take a while. The company is currently in the pre-construction phase, applying for the appropriate permits before construction can start. It’s a process that can take months or even years.
But progress is happening. In December, In-N-Out filed an application for a commercial permit with the City of Fresno for a 3,887-square-foot restaurant at 135 S. Clovis Ave. Additional information has been requested from the city.
The move follows the January 2023 filing of a development permit application for the project. That application is still under review, according to a city database.
In-N-Out’s response
In the past, In-N-Out has been cautious about what it says publicly about the location. It told The Bee last year that it was “hopeful” it could open a Fancher Creek location, but that it was too soon to predict approval from the city or even talk about an opening date.
This week, the vice president of store development, Mike Abbate, shared his most concrete words yet via email:
“We’re excited to be making progress during the pre-construction phase of our future project located at 135 S. Clovis Avenue in Fresno. Once we begin construction on a new location, it usually takes us 8 to 9 months to build a restaurant and open it for business.”
No opening date — even an approximate one — has been shared.
Fancher Creek development
Other work continues to happen behind the scenes at Fancher Creek. Sprouts has signed a lease to open there.
Across the street, 7-Eleven has filed a commercial permit for a location on the site of what is now an On the Go Corner Store.
Chavez has also said that Target, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A are part of the development, though none have confirmed they are coming yet.
This story was originally published January 12, 2024 at 10:05 AM.
