Drifter’s Hamburgers, popular for more than 15 years in Colorado Springs for burgers that loyalists touted as a step above In-N-Out Burger, has shut its doors.

The restaurant, on the southeast corner of Mark Dabling Boulevard and Garden of the Gods Road in the north central part of town, apparently has closed for good. Owner Rich Beaven, who was on site Wednesday, declined to comment.

Drifter’s opened in 2008 at the site of a former Taco John’s. It drew comparisons to In-N-Out, the California-based chain with a cult-like following that expanded to Colorado four years ago and now has three Colorado Springs locations.

Beaven once worked for In-N-Out while growing up in Southern California, he told The Gazette in a previous interview.

Like In-N-Out, the menu at Drifter’s focused on hamburgers, fries and shakes; its burgers were even topped with a Thousand Island-like dressing — similar to In-N-Out. Drifter’s also offered “wild style” burgers that were served with extra dressing, tomato, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions and a dash of catsup, according to its menu; In-N-Out serves “animal style” burgers with several extra toppings.

Aside from In-N-Out comparisons, Drifter’s was known for its high-quality beef that was free of hormones and antibiotics and hamburger buns that weren’t filled with preservatives or GMOs. Its menu included chicken sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches and burritos and a side salad, among other items.

The reasons behind the closing of Drifter’s weren’t known. In an industry where profit margins are slim to begin with, many restaurants generally have said they’ve struggled in recent years with higher food and labor costs, a difficulty in finding workers and increased insurance premiums, lease rates and taxes.

Other factors could be at work in Drifter’s case.

A preliminary proposal submitted to city government planners this year showed that Murphy USA, the Arkansas-based gas station and convenience store operator with a handful of Pikes Peak region locations, was eying the Drifter’s site for a convenience store. It’s unknown, however, whether that project will proceed and whether it contributed to the closing of Drifter’s.

A year ago, Drifter’s was announced as one of nine new restaurants that would locate at the Colorado Springs Airport as part of a concourse makeover. Whether Drifter’s is still coming to the airport was unknown Wednesday.

Customers who showed up to the Mark Dabling and Garden of the Gods location Wednesday morning were surprised to find Drifter’s had closed and that a pickup truck and traffic cones blocked the restaurant’s drive-thru. The drive-thru was the only way to order at Drifter’s; its dining room apparently had been closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“As far as I’m concerned, this place has always been better than In-N-Out,” said David Gonzalez, who grew up in Santa Cruz, Calif. “I’ve been here for over 30 years, and this place was always way better than In-N-Out. Then, In-N-Out game to town here, and as far as I’m concerned, they couldn’t hold a candle to Drifter’s. Drifter’s, their recipe is just one that won for me all the time.”

On Wednesday, Gonzalez was in the mood for breakfast from Drifter’s.

“Their B-52 breakfast burrito (three eggs, cheese, potatoes, ham, bacon, sausage and salsa) has always been a staple for us,” he said. “We always get that for breakfast. And of course, burgers for lunch. The best double cheeseburger you can get in town pretty much from a drive-thru place, absolutely. Hands down.”

Tony Felix, a custodian at the nearby University of Colorado Colorado Springs, was on his work break when he came by Drifter’s for an early-morning burger.

“I think they’re way better than In-N-Out,” he said. “In-N-Out’s just a little bit cheaper. But you get a better quality here.”

John Turner was disappointed when he stopped while on his way to his job with a Fort Carson maintenance contractor.

“I just want a Big Kahuna. That’s the breakfast sandwich of the day for everybody,” Turner said of the Drifter’s favorite that featured two eggs, cheese, ham, bacon, sausage and mayo, according to the restaurant’s menu.

“I want my Big Kahuna,” he added. “On the day I want my Big Kahuna, they’re closed. It’s so sad.”