A double-double with fries, animal style. If you know what that means, you're probably a fan of In-N-Out Burger. Millions are fiercely loyal to the chain that began more than six decades ago in California.
And only on CBS This Morning, Ben Tracy brings us a rare visit with the company's president to find the secret sauce of In-N-Out's success. When In-N-Out opened a new store in Medford, Oregon this month, it brought its burgers to the Pacific Northwest for the first time. And that brought a long line of devoted fans.
If there was a new Wendy's or a new McDonald's opening up in Medford, would you wait in line? No. Denise Denise Lee drove three hours, stayed overnight in a hotel, and showed up at 7 a.m.
to get in line. Why are people so devoted to this? You sound like someone who's never had an In-N-Out burger. Celebrities have been seen downing double-doubles on Oscar night.
Julia Child said it was one of her favorite burgers. Paris Hilton once needed In-N-Out so desperately, she got a DUI on her way there. I was just really hungry and I wanted to have an In-N-Out burger. What keeps most people coming back is a simple menu that basically hasn't changed since Harry Truman was president. Burgers, fries, sodas, and shakes.
It's about the quality, the friendliness, and the cleanliness. We keep it simple. Lindsay Snyder is In-N-Out's 33-year-old president. The one word people use to describe your family throughout the years is reclusive. You guys don't talk a lot.
about In-N-Out or do interviews. Well, why is that? You know, we back away from it because we don't want to be in the spotlight.
We don't want a bunch of attention and we want to do what we do best and that's serve some good burgers to our customers. It's not about us here. It's about this. So this got its start in 1948 when Lindsay's grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, opened a burger stand in Baldwin Park, California. Harry installed a two-way speaker and created the first drive-thru burger joint in car-centric California.
Just down the road, the McDonald brothers were also selling hamburgers, but the two companies took very divergent paths. McDonald's became a franchise and by 1976 had 4,000 U.S. stores. In-N-Out had 18. Today, McDonald's has more than 14,000 U.S. stores.
In-N-Out just opened number 304. Every one. still owned by the Snyder family. What do you think your grandparents would think of seeing 304 stores and people packed in here? Well, I think they would be amazed because they had no idea we would end up here.
The food may be fast, but the company's growth is purposefully slow. In-N-Out can be found in just a few dozen counties in six states. Each store must be within 600 miles of three distribution centers where their burger patties are made.
That's because at In-N-Out, nothing is ever frozen or microwaved. The company pays higher than average wages for the fast food industry. Store managers can make six figures.
That could explain the service with an actual smile. You can tell you're excited about this. You really like this.
Oh, definitely. I love it. Love it.
Doing things their own way is why In-N-Out has repeatedly turned down Wall Street. Unlike its competitors, which have raised hundreds of millions of dollars by going public. What can I get for you today? In-N-Out is now valued at an estimated $1 billion. But along with success, there has also been tragedy.
And then the plane hit the ground. Lindsay's uncle Rich ran the company for nearly 17 years, but he died in a plane crash in 1993. Here we are at the grand opening, Store 96. Her father Guy took over, but died of an overdose of painkillers six years later. Eventually, Lindsay was the only heir left. She gains full control of the company when she turns 35. Could you ever see a time where you go public or where you franchise or where you sell? No way.
Never? Never. The only reason you would do that is for the money, and I wouldn't do it. My heart is totally connected to this company because of my family, and the fact that they're not here, you know, I have a strong tie to keep this the way they would want it. For nearly 70 years, that's meant selling burgers without selling out.
For CBS This Morning, Ben Tracy, Medford, Oregon. Our thanks to Ben Tracy for making us all hungry. Yeah. It's early in the morning.