In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-The-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules

I just finished Stacy's In-N-Out book and I thoroughly loved it. I can remember my first In-N-Out experience like it was yesterday (actually 1987). It was at the Arcadia store after covering a local high school baseball game. I had heard about In-N-Out in college at the University of Arizona because I saw so many students wearing the t-shirts. I wondered what the heck In-N-Out was because I grew up in western New York and never had been to one, even though I had traveled to California several times as a child. One bite into a Double-Double and I was hooked for life. I lived in the Los Angeles-area for 12 years before moving back to the East Coast in 1999, and one of the things I miss most about the area is In-N-Out. When I wear In-N-Out t-shirts on the East Coast, people recognize the fast-food restaurant and recant stories. For me, In-N-Out is not just a restaurant, it's an institution. Anytime I get to California, Las Vegas or Arizona, I make sure I immediately hit an In-N-Out. My relatives on the West Coast always know what to get for me for the holidays -- In-N-Out gift certificates or t-shirts. I have turned all of my East Coast buddies on the restaurant and they all are hooked. Everything Stacy said about the fanaticism of In-N-Out patrons is true. It's amazing to me how you never walk into an empty store, unless it's around closing time. It's almost an aberration to see an In-N-Out drive through without any vehicles. I'm glad the family has not given into the temptation of franchising, although I'd love to have a store right off Exit 3 here in New Jersey. That wouldn't be the best thing for my health, but my taste buds would definitely be loving it. Thanks again for a great read!

As a lifelong loyal consumer of In-N-Out, like my craving for Double Doubles, I couldn't wait to pick up the book. Like visiting In-N-Out itself, the book didn't disappoint. I thought I knew everything about In-N-Out Burger, but I gained some wonderful new insights about the starting of the business, the founders and their descendents, the fast food industry as a whole, the behind the scenes turbulence of In-N-Out, and its mission of doing a few things extremely well. I can hardly wait to get back to the West Coast for a steady diet of Double Doubles, strawberry shakes, and animal style fries. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

You don't have to be an In-N-Out devotee to enjoy this meticulously researched and well-written book. Stacy Perman writes a compelling story of entrepreneurship, an unwavering focus to be the best, success, tragedy, and the struggles of passing a family business to new generations. By the end of her book, you too will have a hankering to drive (or fly) to the closest In-N-Out restaurant. There, along with a diverse socioeconomic customer base that includes celebrities such as Sammy Hagar and Tom Hanks, as well as acclaimed chefs like Gordon Ramsey (the late Julia Child was also a fan), you'll enjoy one of the best hamburgers on this planet.

This is the life story of Harry and Esther Snyder and their family... and their one of a kind AMERICAN-SUCCESS-STORY IN-N-OUT-BURGER. The reader is taken from the Snyder's humble family beginnings... their falling in love... both their military service... the birth of their children... and their personal doggedness that led from one small fast food burger shop... to the current "cult-classic" chain that numbers over two-hundred locations. And it all started with Harry's mantra... do just one thing and be the best at it... and his entire system was based on three simple words: "QUALITY, CLEANLINESS, AND SERVICE". The author's exhaustive research pays off in spades as this is not only a tale of the amazing growth and success of "IN-N-OUT-BURGER"... but an insider's look... right from the middle of the action in the unparalleled escalation of the fast food culture in the United States from 1948 to the present. The Snyder's were not only right there with the birth of McDonald's, Burger King, Carl's Jr., etc. but In-N-Out beat them at their own game in the local market place that In-N-Out competed with them in. In fact even though they competed in the same area as Carl Karcher the owner of Carl's Jr. ... they were lifelong friends to the day they died. As the rest of the industry spent every waking moment and dollar on lowering costs... whether through automation... or figuring out how many different ways they can freeze meat and potatoes... Harry refused to worry about lowering costs... he worried about "everything"... and I mean "everything"... being fresh. Only fresh meat... only fresh potatoes that they peeled and cooked themselves... every single day. They made their own buns... and made their own "secret sauce"... and they never spent money on advertising (not until the next generation of Snyder's... and then only minimally.)... because they didn't have to. The unbridled love of a meal from In-N-Out Burger... was passed from customers to their relatives... from relatives... to friends... from friends to mere acquaintances... like sharing a secret treasure. Lines of customers would wrap around the block and cause traffic jams. As they grew Harry got his own butcher to actually prepare the meat that came directly from a farm. Harry took care of the product and Esther handled the bookkeeping. Harry built a reputation with all his suppliers that his word was his bond. He never pressured them for better prices... he just let them know if he needed their help in a crisis they better be there. He inspected every truck of potatoes and meat. One bad potato and the whole truck was sent away. I can personally vouch for the Snyder's integrity that the author writes about, because in the early 1970's I was the sales manager for a computer company in Los Angeles that sold In-N-Out Burger a computer system to handle their burgeoning accounting needs. They were very happy with our system and wrote us a letter of recommendation on their "famous" In-N-Out-Bu

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has great insight into the Snyder family and the beginnings of In-N-Out. It also includes some simple but outstanding business principles that can be learned from the way Harry and Rich did business. The story has plenty of drama, too. Whether or not you are a fan of their hamburgers, I recommend this book has a great read on family-owned businesses and the story of an entire era of americana.