{"id":4154,"date":"2015-12-09T00:27:22","date_gmt":"2015-12-09T05:27:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/in-n-out\/"},"modified":"2015-12-09T00:32:49","modified_gmt":"2015-12-09T05:32:49","slug":"in-n-out-a-fast-food-cult","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/in-n-out-a-fast-food-cult\/","title":{"rendered":"In-N-Out: A Fast Food Cult"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a California native living in Boston, In-N-Out is a must every time I go home. This family-owned, private chain has a cult-like following that includes celebrities and health fanatics. How do they do it? Let\u2019s look at this company\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n

At its core, In-N-Out\u2019s business model is selling mouth-watering burgers with great ingredients and customer service.<\/p>\n

INGREDIENTS\"innout2\"<\/a>
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In-N-Out vows to use only fresh, quality ingredients<\/strong>. Harry Snyder, who co-founded the business with his wife Esther in 1948, was known to stand over butchers\u2019 shoulders to make sure he got the meat he paid for. In the 1960s, when the fast food industry turned to frozen beef patties, Harry hired his own butchers to prepare fresh beef patties. This commitment to fresh, quality ingredients continues today. There are no freezers or microwaves in any of the restaurants. Every store is located within 500 miles of a distribution facility (in California, Arizona, Utah, and Texas) to ensure daily or nearly-daily deliveries of fresh patties and produce. This commitment to freshness is also why East Coasters have to eat at Shake Shack or Five Guys instead.<\/p>\n

CUSTOMER SERVICE<\/strong><\/p>\n

In-N-Out also differentiates itself from competitors with superior customer service. Employees are efficient, processing through long lines of customers at peak hours. Beyond that, they always respond pleasantly and smile when I ask for two extra packets of \u201cspread\u201d versus the disgruntled response I get when I ask for honey mustard at McDonald\u2019s.<\/p>\n

This difference stems from In-N-Out\u2019s treatment of employees<\/strong>. The company ranked #8 on Glassdoor\u2019s \u201cBest Places to Work\u201d this year. It is one of the few fast food chains in the United States that pays hourly employees more than the mandated minimum wage and provides benefits for everyone, including part-time workers. Store managers often make six-figure salaries, plus bonuses tied to store performance. As a result, they have the lowest turnover in the fast food industry, with an average manager tenure of 14 years.<\/p>\n

Great service also comes from keeping things simple and streamlined<\/strong>. \u00a0Harry Snyder\u2019s philosophy was to \u201cDo one thing, and do it well.\u201d\u00a0In-N-Out\u2019s menu has burgers, fries, soda, and shakes, and looks\u00a0resoundingly similar to the first\u00a0menu. Its\u00a0business and operating model have also remained constant. Unlike competitors such as McDonald\u2019s that franchised to pursue growth, In-N-Out remains privately-owned, and per the website, \u201chas no plans to take the company public or franchise any units.\u201d With straightforward offerings\u00a0and ownership, In-N-Out maintains focus on quality, friendliness, and cleanliness.\"Screen<\/a><\/p>\n

Lastly, In-N-Out has a philosophy that the\u00a0\u201ccustomer is everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>The company prides itself\u00a0on making customers happy. Every order is custom-made and prepared exactly per the customer\u2019s request. For example, you can ask for fries \u201cwell-done\u201d if you want them crunchier than usual, or \u201clight\u201d if you prefer fries that more closely resemble raw potatoes. You can also request fries covered in cheese or \u201canimal style,\u201d which means a regular order of fries covered in In-N-Out\u2019s famous sauce, grilled onions, and cheese. Popular customer favorites led to a \u201csecret menu\u201d with dozens of customizations.<\/p>\n

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CONCLUSION: #WINNING<\/strong><\/p>\n

In an industry notorious for minimum wages and questionable ingredients (Remember\u00a0Subway’s bread containing a chemical found in yoga mats and shoe soles?), In-N-Out\u2019s operating model stands out as quite unique. The company has been highly effective at driving alignment between the operating and business models, resulting in decades of incredible success. I expect this success to continue as the current 33-year old president, Lynsi Snyder, carries on her grandfather Harry Snyder\u2019s founding principles. In a 2013 interview, she reiterated, \u201cWe\u2019re definitely not franchising, and we\u2019re not going to sell\u201d and \u201cWe’re not changing things like many other companies do\u2026That’s kept us unique; it’s kept the customers feeling like we’re not a sellout.” While this commitment means that In-N-Out will expand at a much slower pace than competitors, it\u00a0ensures In-N-Out will sustain its competitive advantage (and\u00a0that I will be able to get\u00a0animal-style cheeseburgers for years to come).<\/p>\n

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Sources:<\/p>\n