Opened on October 22nd, 1948 as a small walk-up and drive through by Harry and Esther Snyder, this restaurant chain has grown to encompass most of California with locations in surrounding Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, and Texas. Unless you are from the West, you probably have never experienced In-N-Out Burger. You're probably a Five Guys, Whataburger, or White Castle fan, and that's ok, it's not your fault. In-N-Out has categorically stated it will never locate any farther than the Lone Star State. Despite the 2010 April Fool's joke where New Yorkers were led to believe In-N-Out was opening a location in the Big Apple, the chances of further eastward expansion are slim. In-N-Out is a flavor all its own, based on fresh ingredients that must be delivered daily from company warehouses no more than 300 miles distant. This concept and complex infrastructure setup contributes to In-N-Out's limited range and hesitancy to expand into other regional markets. Nevertheless, the company saw a meteoric rise throughout the late 20th and early 21st-century and has placed In-N-Out Burger into a category all its own, one that ensures the absolute best product, best taste and best value for those lucky enough to have one nearby.
Being a regional company that has yet to cross the Mississippi River, it begs the question, why is this Southern California burger shack remotely important to the development of fast food? Because In-N-Out Burger, or more precisely Harry Snyder, developed and perfected the drive-thru. Tinkering around in his garage, Harry built a crude but effective two-way speaker, fitted it in a box, stuck it on a short pole and placed it next to the drive that came up along the burger stand window. Hence, the drive-thru was invented, and customers no longer needed to park, get out of the car, and collect their orders. All you had to do was drive in, order and have your food handed to you, then drive away. No roller skate shod "carhop" needed. Needless to say, the idea and invention was picked up and used by every fast-food restaurant with a clown, star, bell, or bucket of chicken.
The original stand was on Francisquito Avenue and the site was unfortunately covered over by the Interstate 10 "freeway". However, a reproduction was constructed and is open to the public. It's not a functioning restaurant, but you can take a picture in front of it...and drop a few bucks in the gift shop.
Of all the fast-food chains, In-N-Out is the only one that still prides itself on having that supply chain of fresh ingredients, not a bag full of chemical "Frankenfood". They refuse to franchise, keeping the quality under corporate control, and they were the first to introduce promotional items in the form of cartoon character drinking glasses in partnership with Pepsi Co. in 1970. Other than that, nothing much has changed, and the burger you get today is the same one you got in 1948. Wait, the sign did change in 1954...
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Baker, C. (2020, December 10). In-N-Out Burger Replica. The Historical Marker Database. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=162254
Duff, O. (2021, May 1). This Is Why In-N-Out Burger Will Never Come to the East Coast. Eat This, Not That! https://www.eatthis.com/news-in-n-out-burger-east-coast/
No Author. (2022). In-N-Out Burger History. In-N-Out Burger. https://www.in-n-out.com/history