In-N-Out Burger is working to launch its closest location to downtown Nashville.
Plans for a new restaurant at 2711 Eighth Ave. S., in the Melrose neighborhood, went before the Metro Stormwater Management Committee on Aug. 6, where members unanimously approved a floodplain variance for the project.
Because the property sits in a flood-prone area, the company sought approval to elevate the site and construct a new building above the base flood elevation.
The proposed restaurant would replace an existing furniture store near the intersection of Eighth Avenue South, Franklin Pike and Berry Road. The Melrose restaurant would become the chain's closest location to downtown Nashville.
In-N-Out Burger did not immediately respond to questions about the
timeline of the proposed new restaurant.
Where is In-N-Out in the Nashville area?
Founded in 1948 in Los Angeles County, the California burger chain has expanded across Middle Tennessee, adding locations in Franklin, Murfreesboro and Madison after opening its first Tennessee restaurants in Lebanon and Antioch in 2025. Additional locations are planned in Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, Madison, Memphis and Clarksville.
The company spent years preparing for its Tennessee debut, including extensive planning for traffic flow and the purchase and refinishing of nearby parking lots to accommodate expected crowds.
For the proposed Melrose restaurant, engineers told the committee that elevating the property and replacing the existing building would not increase flood risk.
"This will allow us to take a building that's currently subject to repeated flooding and replace it with a building that is above the base flood elevation, with no adverse impact to water surface elevations either at the site or in the community in general," Matt Schlicker of Kimley-Horn, the project's civil engineering firm, told the committee.
The committee approved the request with conditions, including enhanced landscaping and limits on the amount of fill that can be added to the site without returning for additional approval.
The hearing was largely a technical discussion about floodplain regulations, but one speaker brought a little levity to the proceedings.
Kevin Gangwer of Civil Site Design Group, who spoke in favor of the project, said it could serve as an example for other property owners in the same floodplain who may want to elevate their own buildings.
"I'm also just a significant fan of In-N-Out Burger," Gangwer told the committee.
"You just wanted a free burger, didn't you?" a committee member joked.
Mackensy Lunsford is the senior dining reporter at The Tennessean. Reach her at mlunsford@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: In-N-Out Burger plans Nashville restaurant 5 miles from downtown
