By Collin Breaux
Some residents of San Juan Capistrano are wondering about the status of a planned new In-N-Out Burger drive-through spot on Del Obispo Street, following the City Council’s approval of the restaurant earlier this year.
According to the company’s Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick, In-N-Out is “currently proceeding in our pre-construction phase of the process.”
“However, once we break ground on a new location, it usually takes us around 8 months to build a restaurant and open for business,” Warnick said in response to a query from The Capistrano Dispatch.
Back in February, councilmembers allowed a conditional approval of an In-N-Out drive-through location, provided the company met certain requested design requirements. The planned new restaurant will take over the former Marie Callender’s building, in the same corridor as the new Chick-fil-A and Target locations.
The coming new In-N-Out spot has drawn widespread condemnation from numerous San Juan residents due to expected adverse impacts to traffic—a matter many in the local community said is already a huge problem. Some residents have clarified they are not against In-N-Out as a company itself and even enjoy their food, but dislike the planned location and would prefer it be somewhere else in town.
“We love serving this community and we look forward to welcoming customers at this location,” Warnick said.
One of the most important values of In-N-Out is being a “positive presence” in communities where they operate, Warnick continued.
“We’re very mindful of the experience of not only those who visit our restaurants, but those who live, work, or shop near them as well. When we are blessed with lines of loyal customers at times, we are committed to being thoughtful and responsible in minimizing any inconvenience to others,” Warnick said. “Throughout the planning process, our intent is to be sure and address all community-based concerns and to come up with solutions to satisfy as many of those concerns, as reasonably possible.”
Collin Breaux
Collin Breaux covers San Juan Capistrano and other South Orange County news as the City Editor for The Capistrano Dispatch. Before moving to California, he covered Hurricane Michael, politics and education in Panama City, Florida. He can be reached by email at cbreaux@picketfencemedia.com.
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