Why a California city picked a fight with In-N-Out

An op-ed authored by The R Street Institute’s Steven Greenhut and presented in The Washington Post’s Red Tape Newsletter, a newsletter on the consequences of overregulation.

Why is a California city trying to stop a new In-N-Out before it even opens?

California gave birth to some of America’s most iconic drive-through restaurants. But when In-N-Out proposed a new location along a major thoroughfare in Culver City, local opposition quickly prompted the city council to impose a temporary moratorium on new drive-throughs and then extend the ban for more than 10 months.

Residents and local officials have raised concerns ranging from traffic and pollution to pedestrian safety and the broader effects of “car-centric” development. But the dispute reflects a larger problem in California, where businesses and development projects routinely face layers of discretionary approvals, regulatory hurdles and organized opposition.

The fight over one burger restaurant might seem minor, but it illustrates how easily local governments can use permitting authority to impose broader policy preferences on private businesses. If a popular company such as In-N-Out faces this much difficulty opening a new location, the implications for smaller businesses trying to grow in California are even more concerning.

Continue reading Steven Greenhut’s op-ed in The Washington Post here.