Anyone who’s either lived in Southern California or the Southwest or spent anytime there should be familiar with the legendary In – N – Out Burger chain.  Long famous for bucking the franchising trend and doing everything the old fashioned way.  From personally inspecting to hand cutting the potatoes used in French Fries, to cutting their own beef, and to making their own ice cream based shakes, they buck the pre fab, processed fast food trend.
In – N – Out Burger: A Behind the Counter Look at the Fast Food Chain that Breaks All of the Rules by Stacy Perman is a fascinating look inside of a very private company.

They’ve long tried to keep out of the spotlight and keep both the company and it’s managment practices private.

Started in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder with one restraunt the chain had most modest beginnings. In fact compared with most fast food chains it’s small. As of the writing of the book, they only had 240 outlets. All owned by the company, and all in the Southwest and California area.  Harry started slowly to expand and really only expanded because he had so many workers that had been trained to management levels and no where to put them.

Slowly expanding the chain he only built when he had enough maney and trained personnel to build a new store. And no one can account for the legend of the hand made fast food, that spread throughout the area, and America, and later the world. Harry died in 1976 of lung cancer, at which point his younger son, Rich took over the day to day operations.  Which caused a lot of resentment between him and his older brother Guy.  Tragically, Rich died in a plane crach in the eighties, which took several other corporate officers with him.  Guy stepped in, but his injury in a racing accident, and his subsequent addiction to painkillers, and turbulent personal life took it’s toll.  Esther sadly outlived her husband, and both of her children.  Running the business with the help of many well trained people Rich had hired well into her nineties, she was merely waiting for Lyndsi, Guy’s daughter by his first wife to reach the age specified by the trust. Where she could take over running the chain.

Sadly, for a company that prided itself in keeping a low profile a lot of corporate dirty laundry got dragged out into the courts, when an executive who was to be part of the trust running the company was tossed out in a management coup.,

Still, the chain makes great food. And if you’ve never had a Double Double then you’ve never really lived.

In – N – Out Burger: A Behind the Counter Look at the Fast Food Chain that Breaks All of the Rules by Stacy Perman is a great read and is Highly Recommended
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