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Why In-N-Out Will Never Be a National Chain, Explained
Photo courtesy of In-N-Out
In-N-Out is an iconic part of Californian culinary culture, and though many people across the country would love the burger chain to open up in their home town, it probably won't happen any time soon. At least not if it's up to the company's head honcho, 30-year-old billionaire Lynsi Torres.
Torres, who now owns the company, told the OC Register that she fully intends on keeping the no-franchising rule hard and fast under her reign.
Throughout the Irvine-based company's 65-year history, they've grown at a deliberately slow pace and refused to franchise operations, which has helped it keep tight control over food quality, restaurant cleanliness and its overall image. Other fast food chains like McDonald's and Taco Bell thrive off of routinely rolling out new products and limited-time offers, but their menu has remained essentially unchanged, serving simple burgers, fries, soda and shakes.
Part of the reason those few items are so good is that they are all made fresh, and come from two plants out of California and Texas. Expanding would mean frozen food and micros might become part of the repertoire. And for Torres, who also happens to be the world's youngest female billionaire, that's not an option.
Which is fine by us, as long as the Cali stores continue to thrive. Even the Oscar winners like Ang Lee opted to chow down on animal-style burgers after the awards show instead of Wolfgang Puck's fancy menu.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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