AURORA, Colo. — The same day that locally-owned restaurants in multiple counties across the state have to close indoor dining due to a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases, people are waiting hours to get their hands on burgers from a long-awaited national chain that just opened in Aurora and Colorado Springs.
How long is the line for the new In-N-Out Burger, which appears to be the only California transplant that Coloradans have actively greeted with open arms?
So long that the Aurora Police Department (APD) had to do traffic control to handle the line of cars snaking around the area near the mall.
On Twitter, APD (perhaps sarcastically) said it’s a 12-hour wait to actually get to the drive-up window. That means it will be closed by the time the back of the line gets toward the front (but maybe some folks are planning on camping?).
One person told police that they waited eight hours for a hamburger … and still probably had an hour to go.
Signs even warned of heavy traffic (for what it’s worth, the restaurant will likely be open for more than one day).
One person even commented that it might be quicker to just drive eight hours to St. George, Utah for a burger from this particular chain.
But, it’s also more than possible to get a great burger from one of the many locally-owned restaurants that will be relying on outdoor dining, takeout and delivery in the coming weeks due to new pandemic restrictions.
Aurora Police started that conversation on Twitter.
And hat tip to Next with Kyle Clark Reporter Marshall Zelinger for making this point last night during a commentary about this very topic.
We are also asking our community on the 9NEWS Facebook page for recommendations for cool places to support, if you don’t feel like waiting 12 hours for a burger tonight.
Join in, or scroll through the comments for some suggestions if you’re still thinking about your dinner plans tonight or any other night.
RELATED: Denver’s outdoor dining program has saved $287 million in revenue for restaurants, city estimates
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