I have been going to In n Outs my whole life. Grew up in El Monte in SoiCal ..... right down the road a bit from the original In n Out in Baldwin Park. Dad had Mom going to bring home a box of burgers on a weekly basis. They have a great business model. and everything is proprietary so they are able to control quality to the nth degree.
Exactly. I remember going to In & Outs as a kid in LA (that and Love's BBQ Pit). There were only a couple of them back then. I still love their burgers - I actually like my onions raw so I get a 3x3 regular - but the business itself is what makes me want to pull in every time I see one.
They put one a few years ago in Atascadero so when I'm down there my dad and I grab a bag of burgers about every other day. Last time we were there, I went inside while he waited in the car. He said he timed the drive-through and a car was going through at just under 15 seconds a click. I walked in because, as usual, there was a line out into the street. I probably got my food in about the same time as if I went through the drive through but when I walked out, there was the same line out to the street - albeit with different cars. Always cracks me up that when they are REALLY busy, they have a guy outside with his little wireless gadget so he can walk along next to your car as he takes your order. Can't have any bottlenecks at In & Out.
I seriously go there and just watch the operation sometimes. They pay their employees a little more but expect a lot more than somewhere like Burger King or McD's. Just watch if a piece of trash hits the floor. You can barely blink before it's gone. And I don't care where their employees hail from, they look you straight in the eye and speak clear English while addressing the customer.
I think I would be amazed by the operation even if I didn't own a restaurant but owning one, I find myself just staring in amazement. And you are right. Every one of them is privately owned by the same family that started the chain. I guess it is in the hands of one of the grand daughters now and her plan is to hand it down to her son some day.