Famous drive-through burger chain In-N-Out is one step closer to opening a location in Portland.
Customers place order at the counter of an In-N-Out burger restaurant Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in Thornton, Colo.
David Zalubowski / AP
The California-based chain has submitted a permit application with the city to develop a drive-through restaurant at Northeast Airport Way and Holman Street, according to the city’s public database. It would be In-N-Out’s first location in Portland and its fifth in Oregon.
In-N-Out opened its first location in the Los Angeles area in 1948, according to the company’s website. Harry and Esther Snyder started the business, which is considered a pioneer among drive-through restaurants. Over the decades, the chain has built a following of dedicated customers, helping the restaurant expand throughout California and into a handful of other states.
In-N-Out remains unique among fast food restaurants for resisting franchising or selling to investors. Lynsi Snyder, granddaughter of Harry and Esther, took over as company president in 2010.
The first Oregon In-N-Out location opened in Medford in 2015. Since then locations have opened in Grants Pass, Keizer and Roseburg.
The proposed development near Portland International Airport just off Interstate 205 would include around 60 parking spaces and a drive-through line able to accommodate 31 cars, according to the city. The burger chain would also be responsible for incorporating a 5-foot-wide sidewalk along part of the property line.
The Portland Business Journal, which originally reported plans for a Portland In-N-Out, has previously noted the burger chain’s efforts to open locations in Beaverton and Southwest Washington.
In-N-Out did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.