A new In-N-Out burger recently opened near me to much fanfare. The store opening caused traffic jams all day. Radio stations touted the opening and the ensuing swell of excited customers.
While this is mildly exciting for our neck of the woods, I can’t help but wonder, what is the big deal? Don’t these guys just sell burgers? In fact, I often hear questions from friends and family ‘what is so great about them?’. I decided I would try and find what they are doing right. Talk about a crowded market space – McDonalds, Burger King, Carl’s Jr, A&W and various local competitors! They seem to be competing strong with much more established players.
Bias disclosure: I should mention any biases I may be subject to before I continue… 1. I like burgers, I probably eat one every 7-10 days. 2. I have been to In-N-Out in the past, one in San Diego, one in Las Vegas and one in St. George. All were ok experiences, not memorable. 3. I seem to have a general favorable impression about them, I am not entirely sure when or how that got generated.
So, I decided to trek down to the new In-N-Out in Draper, Utah. My intent was to pay attention to everything and see if I could pull out what makes In-N-Out highly successful.
The Scene
Upon arrival, on a Saturday evening, I was greeted with a line out the door. Parking nearby had been hard to find. The line moved fairly quickly. As you have no doubt heard, In-N-Out’s menu is quite lean. You have a choice of 3 combo meals. No kids meals. You can choose to have a shake instead of a drink. You may also customize the burger (vegetables and condiments).
The decor is cohesive – red and white and sparse. It reminds you of a 50’s diner. The employee uniforms reinforce the diner theme. All are dressed in red and white and have on exactly the same hats, shirts, pants and aprons. Besides the menu, and exits, there is a sole sign which reads “Quality you can taste”.
The Experience
Once the food was ordered, we were forced to stand to wait for our food. All seats were taken. I mean every single sittable area was occupied. We waited at least 10 minutes for our order. I rarely wait that long for ‘fast’ food. Then, it came time to find a seat. As you can imagine, with such demand for seating, it was cutthroat. We were vultures circling for vacancy. My wife ended up sitting next to a stranger to ‘claim’ the rest of their table once they were done.
The restaurant was quite clean. Incredibly clean considering the traffic flying through it. It appeared there were two employees whose sole job it was to clean. Tables were cleaned the moment people got up to leave. (more…)
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