MURFREESBORO, TN - (WGNS News) - It’s been exactly four weeks since In‑N‑Out flipped its first burgers at 2508 Medical Center Parkway, and the excitement hasn’t let up. Even on a gray, rainy Saturday, the California favorite is still packing in cars—so many, in fact, that two of the five lanes in the paved lot off Willowoak Trail are filled with drivers inching their way toward the promise of a Double‑Double. That’s several blocks from the restaurant itself, but no one seems surprised anymore.
If anything, Murfreesboro is experiencing the same phenomenon that’s played out in every new In‑N‑Out market across the country. The chain’s openings are known for drawing huge crowds, especially in states where the brand is brand‑new. Tennessee has joined that club, and the turnout has been exactly what longtime fans predicted. Store spokespersons have even suggested that Murfreesboro’s surge may last longer than usual, thanks to the large number of California transplants who already know the drill and don’t mind waiting for a taste of home.
And while the name might imply a quick in‑and‑out experience, the chain’s reputation has always leaned more toward consistency than speed. Everything is made to order. The menu is famously simple. And when demand spikes—as it has here—drive‑thru lines move steadily, but not quickly. No restaurant can instantly process thousands of first‑day customers, and the early weeks have felt like a marathon of patience and nostalgia.
Still, many customers have walked away pleasantly surprised. Several said their wait was “only about an hour,” which, given the hype, felt like a small victory. Others joked that surviving the line was practically a rite of passage, a way to say they were part of Murfreesboro’s opening excitement.
A month in, the buzz hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s become part of the local landscape—rain or shine, long line or short, the newest In‑N‑Out in Tennessee is still the place where people don’t mind waiting just a little longer for something familiar, fresh, and worth the trip.
