Construction of Colorado’s first In-N-Out Burger begins

Hoping for a sign of better times?

Well, here’s one that was erected recently on Colorado Springs’ far north side:

“In-N-Out Burger. Here soon.”

How soon? Later this year — possibly in November, although that’s not a sure thing.

The popular California fast-food chain, which announced its expansion to Colorado 2½ years ago, has started construction of what’s expected to be its first restaurant in the state, southeast of InterQuest and Voyager parkways in the Victory Ridge mixed-use development.

A large sign proclaiming In-N-Out’s arrival stands next to the restaurant site, where several construction workers are on scene.

In addition to construction on its Victory Ridge restaurant, In-N-Out is in the initial stages of work on restaurants in Aurora and Lone Tree, Carl Arena, In-N-Out’s vice president of real estate and development, said in an email.

The start of restaurant construction comes as work continues on In-N-Out’s nearly 100,000-square-foot distribution center and patty production plant, which also are being built in Victory Ridge. Those facilities, going up to the east of the restaurant site and a short drive from Interstate 25, will serve In-N-Out restaurants throughout Colorado and possibly other states.

Arena said he couldn’t say for sure when the Victory Ridge restaurant would open.

“Work continues at a good pace at our Colorado distribution facility and store projects but, because of the amount of construction that still needs to take place at both, it isn’t yet possible to nail down a precise opening date, or even an opening month,” Arena said in his email.

“Once we begin construction on a new location it usually takes us about six months to build the restaurant and open for business,” he said.

That six-month timetable means the Colorado Springs restaurant in Victory Ridge could be on target to open around November.

“It is great to be able to report progress being made, and we are still on track to be serving Double-Doubles in Colorado late this year,” Arena said. “We are very much looking forward to that day, and we appreciate our customers in Colorado that have shared their anticipation with us as well.”

In-N-Out, with burgers, fries and shakes that have developed a cult-like following since it was founded more than 70 years ago, announced in November 2017 it would expand to Colorado and make Colorado Springs its regional headquarters.

In February 2019, In-N-Out paid $7.4 million to purchase land in Victory Ridge, a 153-acre development that’s home to the Icon movie theater complex and townhomes, and what developers say will be the future site of additional restaurants, stores, offices, hotels and apartments.

In addition to the distribution and production facilities, In-N-Out also has submitted plans to Colorado Springs city officials showing it will construct a 150,000-square-foot office building at Victory Ridge.

Documents submitted to the city have shown In-N-Out’s restaurant at Victory Ridge would sit squarely at the InterQuest and Voyager corner, with a 4,772-square-foot building and a single-lane drive-thru long enough to accommodate nearly 30 vehicles. The restaurant is supposed to be the first to open in Colorado, according to In-N-Out and Westside Investment Partners of suburban Denver, which is developing Victory Ridge.