In-N-Out Burger facts for kids
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Headquarters at University Tower in Irvine, California
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| Private | |
| Industry | Fast food restaurant |
| Founded | October 22, 1948 Baldwin Park, California, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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400 |
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Area served
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Key people
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| Revenue |  US$1.823 billion (FY 2022) |
| Owner | Snyder family |
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Number of employees
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27,000 (FY 2021) |
In-N-Out Burger is a popular American fast food restaurant chain. It's famous for its hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes. Most of its restaurants are in California and the Southwestern United States.
The company was started in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948 by a couple named Harry Snyder and Esther Snyder. Today, its main office is in Irvine, California. In-N-Out has grown a lot over the years. You can find their restaurants in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho. They are even planning to open new locations in New Mexico and Tennessee.
The current owner is Lynsi Snyder, who is Harry and Esther Snyder's only grandchild. In-N-Out Burger has chosen to remain a private, family-owned company. They do not allow others to open their own In-N-Out restaurants (this is called franchising). This helps them keep the food quality and customer service consistent. Many people love In-N-Out and it's often rated as one of the best fast food places.
Contents
History of In-N-Out Burger
The Early Years (First Generation)
The very first In-N-Out Burger opened in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California. Harry and Esther Snyder started it. It was special because it was California's first drive-thru hamburger stand. Drivers could order their food using a two-way speaker system. This was a new idea back then, as most places used carhops to take orders.
In 1951, a second In-N-Out opened in Covina, California. The company stayed fairly small in Southern California for many years. Harry and Esther made sure each restaurant kept its high quality. When Harry Snyder passed away in 1976, the chain had 18 restaurants.
Growing Bigger (Second Generation)
After Harry's death, his 24-year-old son, Rich Snyder, became the company president. Rich and his brother Guy had worked in the restaurants since they were young. Under Rich's leadership, In-N-Out grew quickly. In 20 years, they opened 93 restaurants.
In 1990, In-N-Out opened its first restaurant outside the Los Angeles area, in San Diego County. Then, in 1992, they opened their first restaurant outside California, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The next year, they expanded into Northern California.
Sadly, Rich Snyder died in a plane crash in 1993. After his death, his brother Guy Snyder became president in 1994. Guy continued to expand the company, opening the 100th In-N-Out location in 1994. He was president for almost six years, growing the chain from 93 to 140 locations. When Guy passed away in 1999, his mother Esther took over as president.
The 21st Century and Beyond
Esther Snyder passed away in 2006. The company's leadership then went to Mark Taylor, who was the vice president of operations. He was the first person outside the Snyder family to be president. The current owner is Lynsi Snyder, who is Guy's daughter and the only grandchild of Harry and Esther. Lynsi took full control of the company in 2017.
Lynsi Snyder became the company's president in 2010. She plans to keep In-N-Out a family-owned business and pass it on to her children. In 2024, In-N-Out Burger closed its only store in Oakland, California. This was the first time in its 75-year history that the company closed a location, due to safety concerns.
Expansion Across States
In-N-Out started opening restaurants in Arizona in 2000. They also added new locations in Reno and other parts of Nevada in 2004. These new restaurants were very popular. In 2005, the 200th In-N-Out location opened in Temecula, California.
In 2008, In-N-Out expanded into its fourth state, Utah. They opened a restaurant in Washington, Utah. By 2009, they had more locations in northern Utah. To support all these new restaurants, In-N-Out built a distribution center in Las Vegas in 2013.
In 2010, In-N-Out announced plans to open in Texas. The first Texas locations opened in Frisco and Allen in 2011. They also opened in Austin in 2013. To serve Texas, the company built a new patty production and distribution center there. In 2014, they opened in San Antonio and Killeen. In 2017, they announced plans to expand into Houston.
In 2015, In-N-Out opened its 300th restaurant in Anaheim, California.
The company opened its first location in Oregon in 2015, in Medford. This location gets its supplies from a distribution center in Lathrop, California. In 2018, they announced a location in Keizer, which became their northernmost restaurant at the time.
In 2017, In-N-Out announced plans to build a production and distribution center in Colorado Springs. This was in preparation for expanding into Colorado. The first Colorado restaurants opened in Colorado Springs and Aurora in 2020.
In 2020, In-N-Out also opened a new distribution center in Chino, California. This helped take some of the work from their older center in Baldwin Park.
In 2020, In-N-Out began planning for a store in Idaho. The first Idaho store opened in Meridian in December 2023. They are also looking into opening more stores in Idaho and even in Ridgefield, Washington.
In 2023, In-N-Out announced big plans to expand to the eastern United States. They will build a new hub in Franklin, Tennessee, by 2026. Restaurants will then open in the Nashville area and other parts of the Southeast.
In-N-Out Menu Items
The main menu at In-N-Out is simple. It includes:
- Hamburger
- Cheeseburger
- "Double-Double" (which has two hamburger patties and two slices of cheese)
You can also get French fries and different kinds of drinks and milkshakes. All burgers come with lettuce, tomato, and a special "spread" sauce. You can choose to have fresh or grilled onions.
The "Secret Menu"
In-N-Out is famous for its "secret menu." These are items not listed on the main menu but are well-known and can be ordered. Some popular "secret menu" items include:
- 3x3: Three patties and three slices of cheese.
- 4x4: Four patties and four slices of cheese.
- Neapolitan shakes: A mix of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshake.
- Grilled cheese sandwich: A burger without the meat, but with melted cheese and other toppings.
- Protein Style: Your burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun.
- Animal Style: This means your burger is cooked with mustard, and comes with pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread. Animal Style fries have melted cheese, spread, and grilled onions on top.
You can also ask for whole or sliced chili peppers. The "Protein Style" and "Animal Style" options are so popular that In-N-Out has even trademarked their names!
Years ago, you could order burgers with any number of patties, like a 100x100! But now, they only allow up to a 4x4. Another unique "secret" item is the "Flying Dutchman," which is just two meat patties and two slices of cheese, with no bun or toppings.
In 2018, In-N-Out added hot chocolate with marshmallows to its menu. This was the first new item in 15 years! They actually served hot chocolate in their early days in the 1950s.
Restaurant Design and Look
In-N-Out restaurants have a signature look with white, red, and yellow colors. The buildings are usually white, with red roofs. Employees wear red aprons and hats. Yellow is used for decorations and the arrow in their logo.
The first In-N-Outs were designed with the kitchen in the middle and two drive-thru lanes for cars. There wasn't much indoor dining. These older designs are often shown in In-N-Out ads, sometimes with classic cars.
Today, most new In-N-Out restaurants follow a similar design. They have an indoor dining area with booths and tables, a customer service counter, and a kitchen. Most also have a single drive-thru lane. Some special locations, like the one at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, have unique designs to fit their area.
A cool design detail you might notice at In-N-Out locations are palm trees planted to form an "X." This is a nod to founder Harry Snyder's favorite movie, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In the movie, characters find treasure under four palm trees that form a "W," with the middle two forming an "X."
Advertising and Popularity
In-N-Out uses billboards and radio commercials to advertise. Their radio ads often feature a catchy jingle: "In-N-Out, In-N-Out. That's what a hamburger's all about." They don't use many celebrity endorsements, but sometimes famous voices like John Cleese have been in their radio spots.
In-N-Out also gets a lot of free advertising from its many loyal fans. They give out free bumper stickers that say "In-N-Out Burger." Many fans change them to say "In-N-Out urge." The company also sells clothing and souvenirs with its logo.
Many famous people love In-N-Out. For example, football player Troy Smith once raved about their cheeseburgers during a press conference. Famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller, and Julia Child have also shared their love for In-N-Out. Julia Child even had their burgers delivered to her when she was in the hospital!
The book Fast Food Nation, which often criticizes fast food, actually praised In-N-Out. It noted that the chain uses fresh ingredients and treats its employees well.
Company Culture
Why People Love In-N-Out
In-N-Out is incredibly popular. When a new restaurant opens, it's often a big event, with long lines and excited customers. For example, when one opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, people waited up to four hours for their food!
The chain is even accepted in places that usually don't like big corporate fast-food restaurants. In Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, local leaders said they were against other fast-food chains but welcomed In-N-Out. They felt it fit the area's family-owned business feel.
Art and In-N-Out
Artists have even been hired to paint the original In-N-Out restaurant. These paintings have been used on advertisements and merchandise.
Bible Verses
You might notice small Bible citations printed on In-N-Out's packaging, like on the bottom of drink cups or burger wrappers. This tradition started in the 1980s during Rich Snyder's time as president. It reflects the Snyder family's Christian beliefs.
Charity Work
In-N-Out Burgers Foundation
The In-N-Out Burgers Foundation is a special organization created by the company. It helps groups that provide support for children in need, such as those offering shelter, foster care, or early help programs. The foundation gives money to eligible non-profit groups in areas where In-N-Out has restaurants, like Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. They raise money through donations and special fundraisers.
Original Restaurant Site
The very first In-N-Out restaurant from 1948 was torn down when a freeway was built over its location. A new restaurant was built nearby in 1954. This second location was also closed and demolished in 2011.
Today, a new In-N-Out restaurant stands near the original site in Baldwin Park. In 2014, a replica of the first In-N-Out restaurant from 1948 was built in Baldwin Park. It's a cool way to see what the very first In-N-Out looked like!
Awards and Recognition
In-N-Out Burger has received many awards. Forbes magazine ranked it among America's Best Employers. Glassdoor, a company review website, has also listed In-N-Out Burger as one of the best places to work in the U.S.
See also
- Burger wars
- Fast food
- List of hamburger restaurants
- List of restaurant chains in the United States
