Long-vacant corner to become Downey’s second In-N-Out

DOWNEY – The Downey Planning Commission on Wednesday night approved site plans and a conditional use permit allowing construction of the city’s second In-N-Out Burger, a long-anticipated project that officials say will relieve congestion at the chain’s busy Firestone and Lakewood location.

The new restaurant will be built at 9440-9454 Imperial Highway on the southwest corner of Imperial Highway and Bellflower Boulevard, replacing a long-vacant commercial building and adjoining underused lot that commissioners described as an eyesore.

The project includes a 3,887-square-foot restaurant with indoor seating for 84 people, an outdoor patio with 28 seats, and a dual-lane drive-thru system that merges into a single pick-up lane.

Planning documents show the restaurant will offer 74 parking spaces, significantly more than required by city code. Construction is expected to take nine to 12 months once work begins.

The design includes two driveway entrances and a drive-thru queuing system capable of holding up to 32 vehicles. Traffic engineers reviewed the layout and concluded it exceeds the city's standards for on-site stacking.

In-N-Out will also be required to fund several off-site improvements intended to reduce congestion at the intersection, including an extended right-turn deceleration lane on Imperial Highway, a new dedicated right-turn lane on Bellflower Boulevard, and updated striping and signal adjustments.

Planning Commission member Gil Legaspi said the additional restaurant should ease strain on the existing Firestone location, which frequently sees long lines of cars.

“God knows we need a second location,” Legaspi said. “The Firestone location – the traffic – it could use some help.”

Commission chair Mario Guerra welcomed the project, saying In-N-Out is helping revitalize a corner that has languished for decades.

“I’m glad that you guys are coming; you’re good corporate citizens,” Guerra said, addressing an In-N-Out representative. “That location has been empty for 45, 50 years… It’s been an eyesore, it’s been a crime-ridden corner because of homelessness and breaking down the chainlink fence and everything else, so you’re bringing that corner to life and I couldn’t be happier that you guys are coming in there.”

Renderings show a modern single-story restaurant with the brand’s traditional red awnings, elevated rooflines that hide mechanical equipment, and drought-tolerant landscaping including palms, shade trees, and a 15-foot greenbelt along Imperial Highway and Bellflower Boulevard.

The project is expected to create approximately 50 jobs when the restaurant opens. With Wednesday’s approval, In-N-Out will now move into the permitting phase before construction begins.