In-N-Out Set to Expand Into Another State Next Year

For decades, In-N-Out Burger fans in New Mexico have watched the California chain expand across the West and Southwest while their state remained conspicuously absent from the map.

That is set to change in 2027.

In-N-Out announced in November 2023 that it planned to begin serving customers in New Mexico by 2027, making the state the final member of the Four Corners region to receive the family-owned burger chain. The company’s first New Mexico restaurant is planned for Albuquerque, near The Pit as part of the University of New Mexico’s South Campus development.

Now, even before that first store has opened, In-N-Out is moving ahead with plans for at least two more Albuquerque-area locations.

For years, fans of In-N-Out Burger have noticed a glaring void on the company’s map in the Southwest, where the bulk of its restaurants are located. That's about to change. https://t.co/u0Q4utlYC0 pic.twitter.com/9Y6yIiod4o

— KTLA (@KTLA) August 26, 2026

One proposed restaurant would sit near Cottonwood Mall on Albuquerque’s northwest side, in the mall parking lot close to Dillard’s. Project plans call for a two-lane drive-thru, although In-N-Out has not released an expected opening date.

A third potential location is being reviewed at 3811 Coors Blvd. NW, near the Oxbow Center by Coors Boulevard and St. Josephs Drive. A public notice sign appeared at the property in June, and In-N-Out confirmed that the location remains in the municipal review process.

The company cautioned that neither the Cottonwood Mall nor Coors Boulevard project has a firm construction or opening timeline. “There is quite a bit of work to be done before we begin construction,” an In-N-Out spokesperson told KOB. Once construction does begin, the chain says a typical restaurant takes about nine months to build and open.

The approach fits In-N-Out’s long-standing expansion philosophy: deliberate growth rather than a rapid national rollout. The chain historically opens stores only where it can support its fresh-food standards, which rely on regular deliveries from company distribution facilities rather than frozen ingredients.

For Albuquerque diners, the result is three separate prospects—not three confirmed opening dates. The UNM South Campus restaurant remains the location with the clearest timetable, targeted for 2027. The Cottonwood Mall and Coors Boulevard proposals still require city approvals and additional development work.

Comments

comments