Sudden demolition of historic In-N-Out Burger eatery upsets some in city

The sudden demolition this week of one of the oldest In-N-Out locations in Baldwin Park, the hamburger chain’s birthplace, has some city officials upset over the loss of what they had considered a landmark historic site.

The In-N-Out on Francisquito Avenue, which has been in existence since the 1950s, was next to the site of the first-ever In-N-Out, now occupied by a overpass support mound for the San Bernardino Freeway. The just-demolished outlet had been shuttered for some time before crews came through with bulldozers and forklifts this week.

Baldwin Park Councilwoman Monica Garcia told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that the demolition “was a complete shock to all of us." The city’s mayor, Manuel Lozano, told the paper he would personally have stopped it if he had realized what was coming.

A company representative stressed that the razed location was neither the original In-N-Out, nor the oldest one in existence — that location is in Pasadena, the chain’s vice president, Carl Van Fleet, wrote in an email. He said the company was weighing building on the now-empty site a replica of the first In-N-Out as it looked in 1948.

“This building needed to come down as it was in bad shape,” he wrote. “The original In-N-Out restaurant came down when the 10 freeway was built.”

At least one city councilman won’t be missing the old location — Councilman Ricardo Pacheco said Friday that he felt the change was necessary for the area.

“It’s blighted area, and any change is welcome there,” he said. “To me, it was an eyesore.”

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-- Victoria Kim and Bob Pool in Baldwin Park

Photo: Demolition work continues at the historic In and Out site in Baldwin Park. Credit: Bob Pool / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[tornadoes28]

Give me a break. It was not THE oldest. Only one of the oldest. If it was the original I understand. Otherwise it's just another old fast food building. Get over it.

[Oso Viejo]

Being such a garden spot, I can understand Baldwin Park's displeasure with this move by In and Out.

What makes it worse is that a replica can't be rebuilt unless a waiver is granted to BP's ban on new construction of restaurants with a drive through. Guess this is another place where the Baldwin Park movers and shakers forgot to think through.

[Warren]

Growing up in Pasadena/Altadena area both In and Out and Trader Joe's was part of the Pasadena Life Style.

[kuruc]

shut up dumb politicians, NOT your property!

[HRT]

I think In-N-Out did the right thing. Baldwin Park would have blocked demolition if they'd had a chance, and the company would have been stuck with a worthless asset.

By acting quickly, In-N-Out avoided what would have been an unconstitutional taking, in my opinion.

Hank Thornton

[Mike]

Whats amazing is that City Officials are demonstrating their lack of whats going on and not really on top of things... How can they be surprised if all the demo was through a permit process....glad their on top of things!

[Troy]

Gee, a business that contributes both to SoCal's car culture and unhealthy eating that leads to obesity and beef farming is torn down. That should be a good thing, considering that cars, beef and obesity are the leading causes of manmade Global Warming that is killing us all and destroying the planet.

I would think the progressive editors of the Times and the Democratic leaders of an armpit like Baldwin Park would applaud the destruction of this hateful and culturally corrupt reminder of our ugly past and even uglier present.

Where's your moral compass on this clear issue LA Times? Or does it just turn on at selected moments?

[Pops]

The city acts like it belongs to them, it doesn't! It belongs to In N Out and since they have all the money and tax dollars invested they should be able to do with it as they want.

[sally twoshoes]

@tornadoes28 and everyone else....I grew up and lived a block away from this building. My family owned a sandwich restaurant in the 50's in Baldwin Park called Horrible Harry's and purchased restaurant supplies and food from the same warehouse where Harry and Ester Snyder (the founders of In-n-Out) got theirs when the company was only this one location. I can assure you the building that was bulldozed is indeed the original very first In-n-Out

[Zizibug]

Americans are obsessed with food and with getting fat. If this was a scientific research building that discovered a cure for cancer, no one would say anything about tearing it down. But because they served hamburgers here, people think this is "historic." What a sad observation about our fatty culture.

[Crazy Driver]

I want that sign post

[Larry]

As a 39 year old father of two I can remember when I was a kid playing in Baldwin Park's Eastside Little League. If we hit a homerun over the fence our coach would take us to this In-N-Out and buy us a cheesburger special for the homerun hitter. I hit my only two homeruns and got my burger specials there. That said, it was not the first In-N-Out, it was a blighted, therefor it needed to come down. It's good for BP to get something better there.

BTW,

I'm sure glad worked hard enough to get out of that that ghetto so that my kids have a better oppertunity.

[marv]

They're building a replica of the first one there. If Cali's preservation directive is to save collasping fast food buildings, we've got issues.

[Bored]

"Growing up in Pasadena/Altadena area both In and Out and Trader Joe's was part of the Pasadena Life Style."

You think having an In-N-Out and a Trader Joes defines a city? Like it's some sort of thing people look for when looking to settle down? "Hmmm, this city has no In-N-Out so we have to keep looking". "No Trader Joes? Keep driving". Your veiw on life is shallow.

[Tom Stodola]

I love the burgers.
The BP city council should have put their (meaning ours) money where their mouth is. If they had been paying attention they would have known that the place was coming down. It had been empty for a few years and was not a point of public pride by any stretch of the imagination. I am sure the company would have been glad to sell it to the city as part of a redevelopement program.
Just some public goofballs looking for free press.

[El Vato Loco]

double-double, animal style!

[Bike Fixer]

"It’s blighted area, and any change is welcome there,” he said. “To me, it was an eyesore.”

Blighted area that's putting it mildy

[brianguy]

wow these BP officials sound almost as competent as those in Bell.

[Steve Stolarz]

This:

"The city’s mayor, Manuel Lozano, told the paper he would personally have stopped it if he had realized what was coming."

...explains this:

"City officials said they didn't know about the demolition until after it happened..." (from the SGV Trib article).

Mayor Lozano undoubtedly would have held everything up until the company had made the proper donations to the mayor's chosen recipients, as well as to the mayor's re-election campaign.

Owners - 1
Looters & Moochers - 0

[Sondra]

Historiical? If the city and/or residents thought it had value, they could have purchased the building and land. Do not try to make others preserve your memories for you. If you think it is important, buy it. If not just take a couple of pictures of the old buiding and/or make a model of it, and knock it down. How are we going to "transform" America into a green economy if we keep filing lawsuits to keep things the same. (eg desert energy generation project stopped by indians)

[Stan]

The In-N-Out location near me on Venice Blvd. is meticulously cleaned every day for hours before it opens...the company seems to be very socially conscious. I will side with In-N-Out on this one. Would you like fries with that?

[JOhn Graham]

Who do these hack politicians think they are kidding. Ms. Garcia the other is shocked, don't they know that in order to demo any building it requires a permit. Where have they been.
Thank God Pacheco is at least honest about the whole incident. After all, this is private property and the owners still have, is spite of some politicians, the right to do with their property as they wish.

[contraryjim]

It is shameful that government folks think they have a right to what others own and have been paying taxes on.

[hf2hvit]

Italy has the Colosseum, the Pantheon and several monuments. Greece has the Pantheon and other monuments. The US has In-N-Out Burger. What a joke.

[Peter]

I'm not sure what In-N-Out is stating that Pasadena is their orginal location and Baldwin Park is not. Their own website stated that the first location was a Baldwin Park. I'm not sure the demolished location is the original original, but it seems that In-N-Out is engaging in some Revisionist History that does not match their own website's statements.

It's a historic site and I can understand why Baldwin Park is upset it got demolished. One of their claim's to fame is that is where In-N-Out started.