As the iconic West Coast franchise In-N-Out Burger looks to expand to Tennessee by 2026, its simplicity and Southern Californian roots preserve it as a hotspot for comfort food and nostalgia, according to an expert in consumer psychology.
The founder of In-N-Out, Harry Snyder, had a motto: “Keep it simple, do one thing and do it the best you can.”
From local customers to celebrities and Michelin-starred chefs, In-N-Out Burger has captivated consumers with its simple yet reliable menu.
“Take me to the drive-thru at In-N-Out Burger and you’ll see me in the back seat with tinted windows with a Double Double,” said celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey in an interview with Taste of Home.
Over the span of 75 years, the regional chain has kept its menu short, offering cheeseburgers, “double-doubles,” hamburgers and french fries. It also offers a “not so secret” secret menu for customers who have a specific way they want their food prepared, as seen on their website.
According to Dr. Steve Westberg, a USC associate professor of the practice of psychology with expertise in consumer psychology, the secret menu “provides consumers with a way to be in the know and tell their friends about it. It generates word of mouth and an element of delight.”
Maggie Hedera, a junior studying public relations and advertising, tried In-N-Out for the first time at its Westwood location. Without being an avid fan of hamburgers or french fries, Hedera said she wanted to see “what the hype was all about‘’ after making the move to L.A. from the South.
“I think the quality [of the food] and the really convenient time that it takes to get the food is just so appealing to California,” Hedera said.
Jiayi Gao, a second-year graduate student in analytics, also said that she wasn’t a “big fan of burgers or fries” but wants to try it because her coworker told her that “[In-N-Out] is a culture in California, and people came to California specifically for In-N-Out.”
“They said that if they could recommend one thing in California to eat, it would be In-N-Out,” she said.
According to a report released by Datassential in 2018, 63% of In-N-Out customers visited for the experience rather than its convenience.
Even beyond its reliable consistency, Hedera said that the chain’s drive-through service and its warm ambience were the most memorable aspects of her first-time experience.
“It’s just kind of nostalgic,” she said. “That’s the vibe I got. Even with the branding and the paper hats, it seemed kind of retro, and it’s a staple in California. I think it’s trendy but also nostalgic at the same time.”
The company’s website emphasizes their value of familiarity, as the restaurant remains dedicated to the same menu and fresh preparation.
“Keeping their menu pretty consistent just allows customers to really know what they’re always getting,” Westberg said. “There’s a certain amount of comfort in repetitiveness and familiarity. Things that are familiar give us a warm, fuzzy feeling.”
Sophomore creative writing major Donal Buckley said that in general, fast food restaurants tend to have emotional value that goes beyond taste and nutrition. Even though he didn’t grow up in California and didn’t develop the same connection to the chain, he said he could see why In-N-Out has remained so popular.
“I think people have some attachment to In-N-Out,” he said. “When I grew up, I had fast food places that I went to and they’re not the best places in the world, but because I grew up with them, I just go there. People from California just grew up eating In-N-Out, so it’s nostalgic for them to go back.”
Buckley mentioned that the “elusivity” of In-N-Out may be sacrificed once it becomes accessible in the East Coast.
“I feel like in my head it’s a Californian thing,” he said. “When it moves to the East Coast, it might lose some of its novelty, but also like, they can have their In-N-Out.”
Even though In-N-Out is making its move eastwards, Hedera said that it won’t take away from how special the experience is in the West.
“People will always see In-N-Out as California,” she said. “I think when it comes to other states, it’ll bring California with it.”
Regional identity can play a role in the popularity of fast food chains, according to Westberg. There is an In-N-Out available in Austin, Texas, but Westerberg said that the “SoCal vibe just doesn’t play as well in the middle of Texas,” thus making Whataburger the go-to spot in Texas.
While Westberg said that the novelty of In-N-Out may slowly wear off once it becomes more accessible in the east, “it’ll take some time to become established in these other new areas where people have heard about them before they went there.”
Like Hedera said, the strong brand identity of In-N-Out and its consistency over the years has enabled it to “stay true” to the elements they want to represent, according to Westberg.
“I think they’re really a model of how other companies ought to achieve success,” said Westberg. “They understood their environment.”