Round Rock OKs zoning for In-N-Out

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The first In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Central Texas will be calling a busy Round Rock shopping center home.

On Wednesday night, the City of Round Rock's Planning and Zoning commission voted to approve and make zoning changes that will allow for In-N-Out to build a drive-thru restaurant on an empty plat at 4251 North Interstate I-35, near the Round Rock Premium Outlets.

The California-based burger chain could open its first Central Texas location as early as next year. 

During the meeting, commissioners were concerned that the novelty of the restaurant and the crowd it attracts might be an issue when it came to the cars lining up in the drive-thru and parking lot.

But Mark Nowak, a representative from In-N-Out, made it clear that they have opened numerous stores and their system is ready for the onslaught in customers.

"We use remote order takers," said Nowak. "[Employees] take an order before the car even gets to the menu sign so that moves the line faster. We don't want to back up any cars into the mall area."

The Round Rock location will also have the largest lot size for an In-N-Out in Texas. They'll also have 40 percent more parking than required by code.

In the past several years, In-N-Out has opened 15 restaurants in the Dallas metroplex area and they always opens their stores on Thursdays.

The news that the popular fast food chain was coming to Central Texas broke last month .

Round Rock City Council will still have to finalize the zoning next month.