While most communities would openly welcome an In-N-Out Burger chain, its highly paid jobs, and very tasty burgers, the bizarro world that is Rancho Mirage has seen residents taking to the streets and the courtroom to fight burger chain and, in a surprise development, it now appears In-N-Out Burger is over it.
Via the Desert Sun:
In-N-Out Burgers has decided to terminate its development agreement with Rancho Mirage, bringing an end to a lawsuit filed against the fast-food chain and the city by a group of residents calling themselves Save Rancho Mirage.
A special meeting of the City Council to discuss In-N-Out’s decision will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon in a letter to Bruce Bauer, lawyer for Save Rancho Mirage, by City Attorney Steve Quintanilla.
“Instead, in light of your clients’ continuing opposition to the project under CEQA despite the City’s and developer’s best efforts and proposals to address their concerns, In-N-Out has opted to terminate the Development Agreement, which by operation of law rescinds and repeals the City’s approvals related to the project’s land use entitlements,” the letter states.
Perhaps now In-N-Out will look to open up in a Coachella Valley city that is looking towards the future instead of one living in the past. I mean, an In-N-Out next to the new Agua Caliente Casino at Date Palm and 111 in Cathedral City might work out pretty well for that city.
As for Rancho Mirage, good luck trying to lure any business to town from here on out. Not that snowbirds who rarely venture outside their country club gates care anything about that.
They tried years ago. They wanted to build on the corner of Date Palm and Hwy 111 (the S/W corner if I remember correctly.) But the City Council at the time refused saying that corner was saved for a future hotel. 15 or 20 years later, still no hotel and all that lost revenue. The City did offer to allow them to build on the vacant lot South of Hwy 111 and to the east of Date Palm Dr. on the other side of the wash, next to the hotel that is there.
The Save R.M. group should be calling themselves The Keep R.M. boring group.
They didn’t want “riffraff” eating in their neighborhood. Horrible people in R.M. Very riffraffy.
Its not over yet. In and Out intends to restart the process and do the more costly Environmental study so there will be no basis for litigation. Basically saying FY to the opposition, which they richly deserve.
Rancho Mirage can’t give away spaces at The River. It will soon look like the Indio Mall.
Turn to Palm desert
I think they should open a Church’s Fried Chicken in that spot instead. Between the heart attacks from eating too much delicious fried chicken and the shock of seeing people of color without a leaf blower or pool vacuum in their neighborhood, we can turn over the RM population in half the time as letting nature take its course.