‘It’s their legacy’: Jake shares family ties to In-N-Out as WA’s first location now hiring

Jun 19, 2025, 5:02 AM

A Delta Airlines plane lands as people gather in the parking lot of In-N-Out Burger. (Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images)

(Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images)

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The popular fast-food burger chain In-N-Out is preparing to open its first location in Washington and is now hiring staff, with construction steadily advancing toward a potential opening as late as July.

While Jake Skorheim was excited for the 76-year-old California fast-food chain’s prolonged arrival in Washington, Spike O’Neill was more lukewarm.

“Sure, it’s a novelty. It’s not a bad burger. It’s OK, but it’s not a mecca. Although it is for my wife and a lot of people. They can’t wait to get in there,” Spike said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

In-N-Out celebrated its 400th store opening across eight states in Dec. 2023, and has officially added its ninth state with Washington’s new Ridgefield location.

Jake Skorheim shares family tie as WA In-N-Out now hiring

“My family, culturally, that’s a part of their life, it’s their legacy,” Jake said. “My dad worked there when he was a kid; he worked at location No. 7 in 1971.”

Every In-N-Out location has a designated store number based on the store’s inception. Each location’s details are provided at the top of each order’s receipt.

“I asked my dad, ‘Do you remember how much money you made?’ and he said, ‘Oh yeah, $1.65 an hour,’ which was good money in 1971,” Jake said.

The new Washington In-N-Out will offer a starting wage of $18.75 per hour, with the ability to earn up to $23 an hour, according to Steve Mathis, a community forum administrator on Facebook.

“The employee interaction at In-N-Out is very high quality. Every time you go there, you see very well put-together young people, and they all have a smile on their faces,” Jake said.

Spike added that the In-N-Out experience is one-of-a-kind and superior to the average burger restaurant.

“It’s a part of the experience of going to In-N-Out. Employees must know that they’re not coming just for the burgers, they’re coming for In-N-Out in its totality, the whole experience,” Spike said.

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.