What a great lesson: Keep It Simple! Thanks for that.

And why spend money on advertising if the line is already too long for some customers

When I eat red meat, I eat Protien burger w/cheese.

i really wish we had them out here on the right coast...

I wish they'd come to this town and advertise!! I'd like to try and win a car! But seriously, I've never seen them advertise on TV - I'm sure they do print, but I'd love to see what they would come up with for tv...

It's funny looking at my old creative. Man, it kind of sucks.

I worked on In-N-Out burger when I was in Seattle. They do spend money on promotions. We did their 50 year anniversary where they gave a car away from every decade. They are a very responsible company, all the food is made fresh and the employees are paid a living wage. Which in California is pretty high. I can't believe they are still showing the creative but the stuff I did the year before in '97 where they gave away a Shelby Cobra is here: http://www.nowcorp.com/innout.html

Yikes - sorry about that horrible formatting - I didn't know if I pasted like that from another site that it would just turn it into one horrible paragraph http://www.tiburon-belv... should do it

I've always got to have my "In-N-Out" when in S. California - and I don't do any of the major burger chains at all. Immediately after their wedding one of my college buddies and his new wife went to In-N-Out in their wedding attire. People there didn't think it was out of the ordinary at all.

I think the "cult" observation is right on, and part of that is the underground cool factor - they do sell only a few items, but there are many secret ways to customize 'em. From http://www.tiburon-belvedere.com/cgi... Burger has a secret unpublished menu for insiders who are In-The-Know. Next time you're at In-N-Out (i.e. tomorrow . . . or maybe tonight), order a bag of these off-the-menu specials: "3-by-3" = three meat patties and three slices of cheese. "4-by-4" = four meat patties and four slices of cheese. "2-by-4" = two meat patties and four slices of cheese. *Note: You can get a burger with as many meat patties or cheese slices as you want. Just tell the In-N-Out Burger cashier how many meat patties and how much cheese you want and that is what you'll get! For instance, if you want 6 pieces of meat and 10 pieces of cheese tell them you want a "6-by-10." "Double Meat" = like a Double Double without cheese. "3 by Meat" = three meat patties and no cheese. "Animal Style" = the meat is cooked and fried with mustard and then pickles are added, extra spread and grilled onions are added. "Animal Style Fries" = fries with cheese, spread, grilled onions and pickles (if you ask for them). "Protein Style" = for all you low-carbohydrate dieters, this is a burger with no bun (wrapped in lettuce). "Flying Dutchman" = two meat patties, two slices of melted cheese and nothing else - not even a bun! Fries "Well-Done" = extra crispy fries . . . even better than the regular! Fries "Light" = opposite of fries well-done, more raw than most people like 'em "Grilled Cheese" = no meat, just melted cheese, tomato, lettuce and spread on a bun. "Veggie Burger" = burger without the patty or cheese. Sometimes we call this the "Wish Burger." "Neapolitan" Shake = strawberry, vanilla and chocolate blended together. The friendly employees of In-N-Out Burger will take your special order without question, if you us

not only do they lack new products, consumers are willing to stand in line for 40 minutes for the in-n-out. best strategy they ever did, though, was win the hearts and minds of young consumers by hiring high schoolers and paying 10+per hour. has been a big hangout for many years.

oh - there's at least 4 in our area... It's the fresh stuff - they mak the fries from potatoes before your very eyes. They have glass everywhere so you can see all your food being made, everythings as fresh as it can be... onioins, tomatoes, lettuce, burger patties...

I wonder if some of In n Out's ability to stay as consistently good as it does is that they don't franchise? (Just hit one during my trip out to LA... wish they had them here in Chi-town).

mmmmm

Fresh is in - In n Out and Chipolte have it right in that regard... We have Chipolte come on our Midday News cooking segment... the bucks flow here too...

Send me some Burito Bucks Noelle. My husband LOVES Chipotle. Too much for me. But as to the In N Out... I love that place. You stand in line and actually see them cut your fries. Can't beat that with a stick! I think that was our favorite lunch on our honeymoon. YUM! I sure hope they come out this way. We'd welcome them with open arms and wallets.

Best friend works at Chipotle corp and it is NOT a McDonald's chain. A bad mis-perception. McDonald's bought a minority stake [think it may even be only 10%] in the chain about four years ago and Chipotle did it to tap into their distribution + network of suppliers while they expanded. They do so well because they 1] still use fresh ingredients [the make their guac and salsa fresh every morning] and 2] are strongly tapped into their community network + neighborhood around the store. Anyone care to have some free burrito bucks? [I've got plenty!]

Well, they're not adverstising in my town... perhaps they put their ad dollars in only a few places... Bible verses??? hmmmmmm ... still great burgers....

In-N-Out makes a great burger but they do plenty of radio and I believe some TV. Besides the limited menu, they do make things not listed. Here’s a link>http://www.zenlemur.com/innout.shtml... to the secret menu and the bible verses printed like code on the bottoms of cups and burger wraps (i.e. JOHN 3:16).

pS-Chipotle is a McDonalds chain? It's actually good. Actually, one opened up near my office where we have no lunch places nearby, and there were lines out the door the first few weeks. It was the happenin place to be between 12-2. I felt like I had to get done up to go out for lunch. I think that's died down. I thought they were going to put a velvet rope outside.

Oh, the also have tshirts on the menu. They sell tons of that stuff.

They're legendary.

I remember In n out from my California days, Always fresh always hot, they had a almost cult like following. it was cool to go there and not to the other chains. Sounds like they haven't sold out and stayed true to what they are, a great hamburger joint. Alot of companies could learn from their example, just do what you do well and the rest is easy. I remember the only thing they used to do is distribute bumper stickers that people use to modify to be sexual in nature. It played into their lone wolf strategy.

Drop an eye to Chipotle, new McDo chain. different food but some Similarities, with a corporate branding a bit stronger from my point of view, or better express out of the brand. In N Out need a progressive lifting. :-) with american tradition as a background. BTW: Fast co. article mentioned in sept 2003 By Carleen Hawn: "Ah, the green stuff. In-N-Out, a private company, won't talk numbers, but the BUZZ is that it's profitable. In January, McDonald's reported the first quarterly loss in its history." Are you member of the buzz-machine club :-)?