In-N-Out ‘excited about possibility’ of Broomfield expansion

BROOMFIELD — An In-N-Out executive confirmed the California hamburger chain’s intent to build a Broomfield restaurant and said that the company is “excited” to continue its Colorado expansion, but offered few details about when the West 120th Avenue location could serve its first Double-Double.  

“We have submitted a development application to the city of Broomfield for a proposed site, but we are still very early in the pre-development process,” In-N-Out chief operating officer Denny Warnick told BizWest in an emailed statement. “However, we remain hopeful for a positive outcome as we collaborate with the city to obtain our permits and approvals.”

The Broomfield restaurant is proposed on a nearly 1.6-acre site at 5005 W. 120th Ave. in the  Broomfield Plaza shopping center, according to the Broomfield Voice, the city and county government’s development-tracking website, which shows that a concept-review application from In-N-Out was submitted in mid-February.

The drive-thru burger joint “would be located in a new 3,887-square-foot building, with an additional 2,000-square-foot outdoor patio area, on the south end of the existing parking lot for the Broomfield Plaza,” according to Broomfield documents. 

“Once construction on a new location begins, it usually takes us about 9 months to build the restaurant and open for business,” Warnick said. “Therefore, it’s too early to provide a definitive timeline for the opening date or when we expect to achieve our permits, allowing us to begin construction.”

In-N-Out first planted its flag in Colorado in Aurora and Colorado Springs in 2020 and has since expanded along the Front Range.  Founded in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948, In-N-Out opened a Loveland location in 2023, with a Brighton restaurant in the works. A Timnath location in the Ladera development and a Longmont In-N-Out near the intersection of Ken Pratt Boulevard and Harvest Moon Drive, near the new Costco Wholesale Corp. (Nasdaq: COST) warehouse store, are also planned.

“We’re excited about the possibility of being a part of the Broomfield community,” Warnick said. “We’re very grateful for the opportunity to better serve our customers with these locations in Brighton and Longmont, and we truly appreciate the support we’ve received from our customers in Colorado.”

In-N-Out’s popularity, combined with its novelty as a relatively new player in the Colorado fast-food scene, has drawn throngs of burger lovers to its existing Centennial State locations, in some cases creating access and traffic headaches in the shopping centers where the restaurants operate. 

Broomfield planning staffers, according to city documents, are already contemplating “increased traffic” and “increased congestion and potential conflicts with adjacent drive lanes” at the proposed West 120th Avenue site. Should the project move forward beyond the conceptual review phase of Broomfield’s development-approval process, In-N-Out will be required to submit a traffic study and circulation plan. 

“Under this proposal, vehicles would access the site from the south, or west, side of the Broomfield Plaza parking lot,” according to city planning documents. “The subject site will offer 54 parking stalls for guests. With both indoor and outdoor seating, the site will be able to accommodate up to 124 guests. This lot is intended to provide easy and efficient access due to the cross access through the Plaza shopping area. The site is specifically designed with no ‘dead-end’ parking aisles to promote better vehicle circulation onsite.

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