The California-based hamburger chain In-N-Out Burger has begun early stages of construction on a Fort Worth location, and would open in mid-summer if construction goes according to plan, said Carl Van Fleet, vice president of planning and development for In-N-Out Burger.

The restaurant is located off West Seventh Street, Van Fleet said. The burger chain is also evaluating many sites in the Metroplex, and has also begun construction at locations in Allen and Frisco, he said.

Van Fleet said he thought it was important for the restaurant to come to Fort Worth specifically because it is a “vibrant, exciting and opportunity-filled” area of the Dallas/Fort Worth market.

In-N-Out Burger currently has 252 restaurants in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, he said. Van Fleet said Texas would be a big step for the West Coast chain and would present great opportunity to expand their business.

“When you think of where the big markets are in the western U.S., they don’t get much bigger than where you are right there,” he said.

Irene Sanchez, a sophomore sociology major from California, said she loves the fries and milkshakes at In-N-Out. She said she also likes that everything is freshly made at each store.

In-N-Out Burger was established in 1948 in Southern California, and Van Fleet said the focus on freshness, quality, cleanliness and friendliness has not changed in 63 years.

All ingredients used at In-N-Out restaurants are fresh, he said, including the hamburger patties, the lettuce and the tomatoes that go on the burgers. He added that all ingredients are prepared on-site.

“We don’t own a freezer anywhere in the system,” he said. “Everything is fresh, including the hamburger patties, which we make ourselves.”

In addition to its freshness, In-N-Out prided itself on being active in the community by adding 50 jobs and participating in outreach programs, Van Fleet said. He added that involvement would become much greater once the restaurant is fully operational.

Sanchez said she thought people would go to In-N-Out Burger to try it since there was a lot of hype around the restaurant.

Arthur Aven, a senior history major, said he had never tried In-N-Out but would go to the Fort Worth location to try it. He said he had heard good things from friends who are from, or have visited, California.

“If In-N-Out’s better than, say, McDonald’s or Whataburger, I’d go there over those other places,” Aven said.