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Ridgefield resident Steve Mathis says he’s just a fan, which could be an understatement, but for Mathis, he is simply a fan of the way In-N-Out Burger runs its business with the customer and quality in mind.
Mathis doesn’t even call it a collection since it is just clothing items he wears, but he owns numerous In-N-Out Burger shirts, hats and other items he plans to give away when the opening comes. Mathis also celebrates the first Washington location with his license plate that reads, “1st-INO.”
Mathis, not associated with In-N-Out Burger, but an admin and very active member of a Facebook group started by Atom Duszynski, “In-N-Out Ridgefield, WA,” first had In-N-Out Burger in his 20s, when he was living in Southern California. Mathis is now 69 years old.
With the Ridgefield location now in the interviewing phase for employees, internet chatter has speculated that In-N-Out Burger will open its doors in Washington for the first time in August. It has been anticipated that the opening would be in the middle of July, based on a timeline of In-N-Out’s construction process, but that time has passed.
Currently the iconic cross palm trees have been let loose and the palms are waving in the wind that Ridgefield is known for. As each day, even each hour, inches closer to when it will open. Mathis and thousands of others remain chomping at the bit.
Mathis is also an admin for the Vancouver Facebook group as construction towards the East Vancouver In-N-Out location is underway.
In the Ridgefield group, Mathis posts photography and drone footage of the construction process to give the now over 14,000 fans weekly updates.
Mathis moved to the area 30 years ago, but has made frequent trips to California to visit family and his first meal every time is a good ole burger from In-N-Out. Mathis even said one time he had In-N-Out every meal on a trip, which may sound crazy to most, but to the ones who enjoy the burger joint and live outside of In-N-Out territory, they can understand the craving. Mathis even plans to brave the wait times once the location opens in Ridgefield and make daily trips, he added.
During a prior trip to visit his father in California, Mathis called In-N-Out and asked if they take location requests, which he said they do, so he shouted out Ridgefield as a great option, as did many others. The following winter the Ridgefield location was announced.
“They basically do everything based on quality, cleanliness and friendliness,” Mathis said of In-N-Out Burger. “And so everything they do revolves around those things and you’ll never go to an In-N-Out that’s not spic and span.”
His last visit down to Disneyland resulted in eating at In-N-Out Burger next door and was full of Disneyland employees, but his big takeaway was when a little amount of dirt was on the floor and quickly two employees grabbed a bucket and a mop and wiped it clean in a matter of seconds.
“You’ll sit at the restaurant and they’ll come up to you multiple times and go, ‘How’s everything going? Anything I can do for you?’” Mathis said, adding the quality of employees and management correlates with their food quality, as well.
In-N-Out Burger’s meat is never frozen and the entire process is chosen by them, from cattle to restaurant storage, Mathis said. They even pack a bun with zero preservatives, he pointed out.
“The crazy thing though is their prices,” Mathis said. “They do all this quality and yet their prices, you can compare whatever you want and you know it’s going to be up there, but when you take in pricing, there’s no question.”
