Orange County residents got a first look at Irvine’s Great Park’s upcoming In-N-Out Burger on Aug. 6 as construction neared completion.
Details were shared by Tina Tan, a real estate agent and social media marketer, who posted drone footage and overhead shots of the construction site on Instagram. Shot in multiple angles, Tan’s video gives a clear view of the restaurant’s design, parking lot and drive-thru lane.
“The building is almost complete and this location is looking massive,” Tan said in the caption of her Instagram post. “The drive-thru line looks well designed and extra long, which honestly we are grateful for because you already know this place is going to get packed.”
The 3,860 square foot building is nearly finished and has the signature In-N-Out Burger logo displayed on the front of the facility. According to Yahoo News, the restaurant will also include space for up to 33 vehicles in its drive-thru lane.
Emma Richman, a UCI spring 2026 literary journalism graduate who has worked as a store associate at In-N-Out since 2022, told New University that the new location could create employment opportunities for students.
“When I looked at the drone footage, I was struck by just how massive it’s going to be,” Richman said. “I can imagine it’ll need a lot more workers, too.”
Richman also said that a fast food restaurant near campus offers students a convenient way to work during the academic school year. She added that the restaurant’s size could create demand for more employees than at a typical In-N-Out location.
“Nowadays it’s pretty hard to get any kind of job because the job market is so saturated, so the opening of a massive In-N-Out that will need even more workers than the average In-N-Out is really great for student employment opportunities,” Richman said.
The new restaurant is just one of the projects included in the first phase of the Park’s Framework Plan, an initiative to invest over $1 billion in amenities, programs, and attractions over the next several years.
The Framework Plan was first adopted in 2023. Projects include botanical gardens, museums, a veterans memorial park and cultural spaces for dance and music. The plan also includes improvements to the Park’s existing Sports Complex, such as additional shade structures near seating areas and sports fields.
The Park’s Canopy, a 90,000 square foot shopping and food center, is slated for an opening near the end of the year and will include the In-N-Out as one of its restaurants. TheAmp, one of the Park’s most ambitious additions, is a live 10,000 seat open-air amphitheater expected to open in 2030 and is predicted to be one of the largest outdoor venues in Southern California.
When asked about the Framework Plan’s upcoming projects, Richman told New University that they could attract new visitors and help solidify the Great Park’s presence in Irvine.
“I’m glad to see there is more progress,” Richman said. “I always felt like every city needs more communal spaces, and I hope these new developments will provide that for Irvine.”
For now, guests can expect installments of Great Park upgrades in gradual phases over the next several years, with the massive In-N-Out opening just in time for the fall quarter.
Tariq Abdelkarim is a News Intern for the summer 2026 quarter. He can be reached at tabdelka@uci.edu.
Edited by Brinda Popli and Elizabeth Gregg.
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