However, there comes a time in the life cycle of every business – small, big, private, public – when the call of expansion can become incredibly tempting, and indeed – vital, to the continued health and prosperity of a business. Business owners must – when the time is right – heed that call.

A brief introduction to the fast-food expansion

This is precisely what occurred for the American (now) regional chain of fast-food restaurants known as In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out Burger began in Baldwin Park, California, all the way back in 1948. In fact, that initial In-N-Out Burger just so happened to be the first drive-thru hamburger stand in all of California. It allowed drivers to place orders via a two-way speaker system. Within a few years, this service type would come to supersede the previous carhop method – not just in California – but all over the world!

In-N-Out Burger, however, remained a relatively small southern California chain, in order to ensure quality control. A few decades passed, and the inevitable call of expansion was finally answered. In-N-Out Burger began to expand out of state, mostly focusing its sights on the southwest region.

This is where Utah, McNeil Engineering, and landscape architecture all enter the story.

McNeil Engineering and the wonders of landscape architecture

By 2008, In-N-Out Burger headquarters were actively seeking to expand their chain of fast-food restaurants into the great state of Utah, and its bountiful market. In-N-Out Burger searched high and low for the best design firm to undertake such a monumental feat of civil engineering and landscape architecture.

They succeeded in their mission. McNeil Engineering was commissioned as the civil engineering and landscape architectural consultant for the project. Right from the get-go, McNeil Engineering’s landscape architectural design team was able to work hand in hand with In-N-Out Burger headquarters, in order to develop landscape design themes, concepts, and standards – which would feed successfully into the In-N-Our Burger principles and aesthetics.

McNeil Engineering’s landscape architectural design time, in conjunction with In-N-Out Burger, eventually developed an appropriate palette for the restaurant, signage, and outdoor landscape architecture. The teams landed on a palette involving white, red, and yellow plants to surround In-N-Out Burger locations at over a dozen different sites scattered throughout the Wasatch Front in Northern Utah. The goal was to cultivate a bright, lively, colorful landscape to draw customers in, while also gathering an aesthetically pleasing array of textures and visuals which would remain interesting through every season of the year. In-N-Out Burger and McNeil Engineering clearly knocked their landscape architectural goals right out of the park!

Environmentally conscious irrigation

Above and beyond such concerns, McNeil Engineering also took the task of civil and structural engineering immensely seriously, as well. Of course, this is all part of the overall job of landscape architecture. In fact, McNeil Engineering, in partnership with In-N-Out Burger, developed an innovative system for environmentally conscious irrigation at these fast-food locations, which had always been made a clear priority.

Indeed, the conservation of water is always a top priority in the state of Utah these days, so in order to combat these mounting concerns, McNeil Engineering planned for the future by both envisioning and completing an irrigation system consisting of below-grade inline drip emitters for both the planting beds and lawn areas at each and every In-N-Out Burger location in Utah. This marvel of structural engineering is controlled by an ET-based smart controller, which came complete with rain and flow sensors as well as a fertilizer injector.

This meticulous forethought is paying dividends for McNeil Engineering and the In-N-Out Burger brand and business throughout all of Utah. Indeed, thanks to landscape architecture wizardry and unrivaled customer service, the In-N-Out Burger chain of fast-food restaurants consistently ranks high within this region for overall customer satisfaction. The fact these numbers stay consistent is a testament to how excellent landscape architecture can feed into the pleasing aesthetics of a positive customer experience.

Become part of the future of fast-food expansion in Utah

This sort of positive customer experience and many more like it fueled by McNeil Engineering’s mastery of landscape architecture, is exactly the sort of facet of business expansion business owners and investors strive for.

Are you, by any chance, the owner of a business hearing that siren call of expansion, perhaps for the first time? Do you dream of opening locations in nearby markets in the Utah area? Do you wish to witness such glowing customer testimonials as the ones seen at local In-N-Out Burger locations?

Well, in that case, look no further than McNeil Engineering for all your landscape architecture, civil engineering, and structural engineering needs. The landscape of your business – both on the physical and spiritual planes – will never look better!