In & Out

In-N-Out is a privately-owned fast food restaurant chain in the Western United States, especially in California, but also with locations in Arizona and Nevada. Its corporate headquarters are located in Irvine, California.

Overview

In-N-Out focuses on providing a simple menu and fresh ingredients that are not frozen. It is for this very reason that In-N-Out has not expanded far outside Southern California; delivery trucks are only able to travel so far in each direction from In-N-Out's sole meat-packing plant. The menu only contains hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, milk shakes, and soft drinks. It also has "secret" item specials not listed on the menu nor advertised and these specials are only generally spread by word-of-mouth by In-N-Out aficionados (see below for the list and descriptions). Presumably because of its high quality of food, the drive-thru and in-store lines are very long; it is not uncommon to wait a long while before one's order is taken.

Many older In-N-Out locations are solely drive-thrus and walk-up order windows. Depending on location, they might have limited or even no outdoor seating and restroom facilities. Newer locations have indoor dining areas, which are sometimes full due to the large volume of customers eating and waiting inside the restaurants.

In-N-Out also offers a "cookout trailer" that can be hired for private or corporate events. This trailer offers single cheeseburgers (no double-doubles) and fries to hungry patrons.

In-N-Out is one of the very few fast food chains in the United States to pay its employees significantly above the government-mandated minimum wage level -- at least an additional 2 or 3 dollars per hour -- and to also offer complete fringe benefits, which are almost unheard of in the industry. All employees are invited to attend an annual company picnic, given gifts at Christmas, and participate in a variety of other company-sponsored activities. Thus, In-N-Out enjoys lower employee turnover, so its workers tend to be better trained and more efficient when compared to other fast food restaurants. Furthermore, In-N-Out is generally more highly selective in the hiring process of its employees. It is one of the few chains to receive a positive mention in the book, Fast Food Nation.

In-N-Out also tries to remain active in the communities it serves. Every year the company provides free burgers to all marching in the Rose Parade, provides cans for donations, and matches customer donations 3 to 1 in April for National Child Abuse Prevention month, and underwrites various fundraiser to support local charites and non-profit organizations.

In-N-Out has had sporadic television advertisements. Its advertising campaign is mostly heard on radio, with the jingle: "In-N-Out, In-N-Out. That's what a hamburger's all about." In-N-Out goes by the motto of "Quality you can taste."

In terms of nutritional value, the average In-N-Out meal is not generally considered particularly healthy. A double-double, fries, and a chocolate shake -- the order most often mentioned in their advertising -- have 1390 calories.

History

Its first location was opened in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder in the now heavily-urbanized and working-class Los Angeles suburb of Baldwin Park, California, on Francisquito Avenue near Interstate 10. In that city and on the other side of the freeway, In-N-Out operates its own "university," which trains its managerial employees. A new In-N-Out museum is currently under construction in Baldwin Park.

Secret items

You can order custom-made food at no additional cost (the only items that cost extra are the inventoried items such as cheese, meat, and buns).

Burgers

• Stock: All burgers (sandwiches) come with a spread similar to thousand island dressing, one slice of tomato (two if one won't cover the entire bottom bun) and a portion of lettuce. Onions, either chopped and grilled or a fresh slice are always offered when you order. The amount is constant regardless of the number of meat patties unless you ask for extra or lite of a condiment.

• Animal style is the most popular "secret" style. In addition to the standard toppings, animal style burgers include pickles, extra spread, grilled onions, and mustard fried onto each meat patty.

• Protein style, popular among Atkins dieters and no/low carb eaters, replaces the hamburger bun with large leaves of lettuce. It can be combined with other special orders, e.g., animal protein style.

• 3x3, 4x4, or generally m x n, refers to a burger with a varied amount of meat patties (first number, m) and slices of cheese (second number, n). For example, the popular Double-Double would be 2x2, while a burger with 6 meat patties and 3 slices of cheese would be a 6x3.

• A double meat burger is a Double-Double with no cheese. Note that by definition a Double-Double automatically includes two slices of cheese; for two patties without the cheese, a double meat burger must be ordered.

• The flying Dutchman includes two meat patties and two slices of cheese. Other condiments, including lettuce, tomato, spread, and onions, are not included.

• A grilled cheese is a sandwich with two slices of cheese and no meat patties. Like most orders, this can be combined with other styles such as animal style.

• A wish burger or veggie burger is a sandwich containing only vegetables, and no meat or cheese.

Fries

• Fries well-done are extra crispy fries.
• Fries lite are fries that have been cooked less than normal.
• Fries animal style include two slices of melted cheese, grilled onions, and spread as toppings.

Milk shakes

• A neopolitan shake is a mixture of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavored shakes.
• A root beer float is a concoction made of half vanilla shake and half root beer soda.
• Large and extra large shakes are also available. The cup sizes for these shakes are one below soft drinks (i.e. a large shake is a medium soft drink cup, while an extra large shake is a large soft drink).

Bible quotes

In-N-Out also prints references to Bible verses on their paper utensils.

• Burger and cheeseburger wrappers
  • Revelation 3:20 -- Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
• Soda cups
  • John 3:16 -- For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
• Milkshake cups
  • Proverbs 3:5 -- Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
• Double-Double wrapper
  • Nahum 1:7 -- The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.