I was in California for the last several days (family business), which means that I made a pilgramage to In-N-Out Burger. For the poor souls who have never been to In-N-Out, here is a primer of a fast-food restaurant that does just about everything right.The menu is simplicity. Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Double-Double, Fries, Sodas, Coffee, and Shakes. That's it.
(It also has a secret menu for those in the know.)
The ingrediants are fresh, never frozen. When you order fries, they slice a whole potato. The bread is fresh-baked.
The company has a strong social conscioncious--They pay their employees far above the minimum wage and offer benefits to many of them. They even received a fairly positive write-up in Schlosser' book Fastfood Nation.
So, basically, In-N-Out is the fast food version of heaven... it's just a lot easier to document that the theological one. (I believe that they are a Christian-owned company, so this is an apt metaphor).
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One other notable thing about In-N-Out is that they haven't chosen the franchise model--every store is still owned by the company itself. That has meant much slower growth, but also more control over the stores themselves. That's a reason for the relatively high pay and good ingredients. But it also means we won't be seeing them in other parts of the country any time soon. :(
Interesting. More than once I have thought to myself that I'll open up an In-N-Out here on the East Coast and become freaking rich.... guess I had better stay with my day job.
I almost hate to mention this, but one of the cultural contributions of In-N-Out Burger were their bumper stickers--Which in the mid-80s at least, people would trim down to eliminate tbe "B" and the "r"...
I remember that... after that In-N-Out started making bumper stickers with a picture of a hamburger rather than the word "burger", as a way to prevent this.
My In-N-Out tip:
Even if you want to eat inside or on the patio, order in the drive through and get the "eat in the car" option. Get on out, grab a table, and relax. You'll be eating 5-10 minutes sooner if it's anywhere near lunchtime. They give high priority to the drivethrough.
Oh, I miss In-N-Out!! I've been away from California for 3 years and it's been way too long. I want some "special sauce" with my fries!
Preach it Markus!
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