How Did In-N-Out Become So Popular?

In-N-Out Burger, a family-owned burger stop, is the West Coast’s most talked about fast-food joint. Starting with just under ten square feet of space in Baldwin Park, Harry Snyder and his wife, Esther, opened California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand in 1948; since then, In-N-Out has expanded to over 300 locations in California, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Nevada, and Oregon. Praised for sticking to traditional values and a simple menu, In-N-Out has become somewhat of an icon in the food industry, frequented by everyone from celebrities to first-time visitors from the East Coast – and even amidst hard times such as the Great Recession of 2008, this hot spot still thrived, with profit margins higher than its competitors. But how did In-N-Out become so popular?
Since the late 1940s, Harry was known as the man who would visit the markets before dawn, leaning over the shoulders of customers as he eyed the best cuts of meat. Using only the freshest ingredients, Harry would prepare everything that morning, including hand-chopping the potatoes for fries and molding the beef patties – In-N-Out has maintained these standards even after his passing in 1976. With the idea of maintaining quality over mass production and money-saving shortcuts combined with Harry’s idea of work culture and the way employees should be treated, In-N-Out was already a recipe for success since the day it first opened its doors.

Richard Bunkall painting commissioned by Haenel family of In-N-Out Burger

One of the company’s well-known mottos, ‘our customer is everything,’ also contributes to In-N-Out’s wild success, with customers being able to order pretty much anything they want. Want four patties and four slices of cheese? You got it (that’s called a ‘four-by-four’). Want extra crispy fries with cheese on top? No problem. The modification of the simple menu became so popular that In-N-Out developed a secret menu based on its regular customers, with things like ‘animal style,’ ‘protein style’ (no bread), and the ‘Neapolitan’ shake – chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry mixed into one. All of this not only developed a ‘personal relationship’ with In-N-Out amongst its customers but also created a buzz in the food culture (thanks to the growing trend of food photography and social media).

In-N-Out has also been praised for its employee wages, which are said to be well over those of its competitors – some managers earn $100,000 a year, plus bonuses and company benefits, with the lowest turnover rate in the industry (the average manager stays for 14 years, but some have stayed for 30-40 years). Training is rigorous, and managers are held to high standards – something customers have felt in the company’s culture (think extra kind employees). And unlike other chains, In-N-Out has stayed within the family, with strict guidelines on growth (i.e., stores cannot be outside 500 miles from their produce and meat supplier) in order to maintain consistency and quality across every location.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.