Did you know…
Harry Snyder introduces California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand in a space barely 10 square feet at Francisquito and Garvey in Baldwin Park. Every day before dawn, Harry visits the meat and produce markets to pick out fresh ingredients, which he prepares by hand. Meanwhile, his wife Esther diligently takes care of all the accounting for the new restaurant at their home right around the corner.
Things You Might Not Know About In-N-Out
Founded in 1948, In-N-Out was California’s first drive-thru hamburger chain—famous for its short and sweet menu of savory eats. (Get our copycat recipes here.) And while there are now hundreds of drive-thrus across the West Coast, In-N-Out remains iconic as the first, and is synonymous with the California cool lifestyle, drawing tourists from all over the world to one of their 300+ locations. Besides the burgers, find out what else is drawing folks in.
The arrow has meaning
The arrow logo replaced the original in 1954, just six years after opening, and associates adopted the sayings, “The arrow points to pride” and “We all work under the same arrow.”
There are Bible verses everywhere
While they’re small and discreet, take a peek next time underneath your cup, on your burger wrapper and fry boats, and even on the employee paychecks since the 1980s. The second-generation president Rich Snyder was a born-again evangelical Christian, and his legacy lives on through these Bible verses.
Associates, never employees
You’ll notice across the verbiage on their website and marketing information, that their employees are always referred to as Associates (usually capitalized as well). “At In-N-Out Burger, we’ve been a family-owned business since 1948. Our Associates have always been part of our family, too,” their website reads.
Their Associates are paid well
When they say you’re treated like family, they mean it. Associates are compensated starting at least at $11 an hour, and manager’s salaries have been reported to be around $100,000 annually. It’s no wonder they have the highest managerial retention rate among fast-food restaurants!
The crossed palms are a symbol
In the movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the characters are on the hunt to find buried treasure under crossed palms. Harry Snyder, In-N-Out’s founder rightfully felt that each restaurant is a treasure, so the palms mark the spot in an homage to one of his favorite movies.