In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is a family-owned, never-franchised quick-service restaurant chain operating 400+ company-owned locations across 10 U.S. states, serving made-to-order burgers, hand-cut fries, and shakes from fresh, never-frozen ingredients to individual consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What In-N-Out Burger does
In-N-Out Burger is a family-owned quick-service restaurant chain founded in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California, by Harry and Esther Snyder. The company operates 400+ company-owned locations across 10 U.S. states (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and Tennessee), with more than 65% of restaurants still concentrated in California. It has never franchised and remains privately held under sole owner Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, granddaughter of the founders.
The operating model is built on a deliberately limited menu (burgers, cheeseburgers, Double-Doubles, hand-cut fries, real-ice-cream shakes, and beverages) prepared to order from 100% USDA ground chuck delivered fresh from company-operated patty-making facilities in Baldwin Park, Lathrop, and Dallas. The chain uses no freezers or microwaves in-store, an architectural choice it has maintained since founding. Distribution and production are vertically integrated through satellite support warehouses in Chino, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Draper, and Dallas. The company also operates 16 mobile cookout trucks for event catering across California, Colorado, Texas, and Nevada; three physical company stores plus an e-commerce site (shop.in-n-out.com) selling branded merchandise; and an internal training program, In-N-Out University, established in 1984.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct-to-consumer restaurant transactions at the point of sale, with no online ordering, delivery, or third-party delivery partnerships. Supplementary revenue streams include branded merchandise, gift cards, and cookout truck catering (minimum $3,250 per event). Marketing is predominantly organic, relying on brand reputation and word-of-mouth rather than paid channels. The company maintains three charitable foundations (In-N-Out Burger Foundation, Slave 2 Nothing Foundation, His Eyes Foundation) as part of its institutional footprint. Disclosed 2023 revenue was approximately $2.1 billion.
In-N-Out Burger firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- In-N-Out Burger
- Legal name
- In-N-Out Burgers
- Website
- https://in-n-out.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- In-N-Out Burger is a family-owned, never-franchised quick-service restaurant chain operating 400+ company-owned locations across 10 U.S. states, serving made-to-order burgers, hand-cut fries, and shakes from fresh, never-frozen ingredients to individual consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
In-N-Out Burger industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quick-Service Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Mobile Food Services (72233), Other Food Manufacturing (3119)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Burger QSR (THAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)
Keywords
Where In-N-Out Burger is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
In-N-Out Burger business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from company-owned restaurants. Customers pay for made-to-order burgers, fries, drinks, and shakes at restaurant locations. No franchising model.
- Company Store Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and collectibles through physical company stores and online at shop.in-n-out.com. Products include T-shirts, beach towels, board shorts, and safety pins.
- Cookout Truck Events: Catering service for private events using mobile cookout trailers. Pricing based on per-item costs plus sales tax and miscellaneous charges (mileage, overtime) or minimum guarantee. Minimum price of $3,250 for standard truck events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cookout truck full meal |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | New restaurant employee wages |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
In-N-Out Burger product offering
Product offeringCore offering
In-N-Out Burger operates more than 400 company-owned drive-thru restaurants across 10 U.S. states serving a deliberately limited menu of made-to-order hamburgers, cheeseburgers, Double-Doubles, hand-cut French fries, real ice cream shakes, and fountain beverages. All food is prepared fresh to order using 100% USDA ground chuck from in-house patty-making facilities, fresh hand-cut potatoes, and 100% sunflower oil; the company maintains an explicit no-microwave and no-freezer policy across every location.
Product overview
In-N-Out Burger is a family-owned fast food chain operating over 400 restaurants across 10 states (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Tennessee, and Washington as of late 2025). The company offers a deliberately limited menu centered on made-to-order hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and Double-Doubles, complemented by fresh-cut fries, real ice cream shakes, and beverages. The core product portfolio includes signature items like the Double-Double, Cheeseburger, and Hamburger, alongside the Not-So-Secret Menu featuring custom preparations such as Animal Style and Protein Style. Beyond restaurant operations, In-N-Out provides Cookout Truck mobile catering services for private events, operates Company Stores selling official merchandise and apparel, and offers Gift Cards for purchase and reload. The company maintains three charitable foundations (In-N-Out Burger Foundation, Slave 2 Nothing Foundation, and HIS EYES Foundation) and operates In-N-Out University for internal management training. In-N-Out has never franchised, never gone public, and maintains a policy of no delivery, no mobile ordering, and no AI chatbots, emphasizing human-centered customer service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Double-Double Signature burger with two beef patties and two American cheese slices on a toasted bun with hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, spread, and onions; made to order from fresh 100% USDA ground chuck.
- Cheeseburger Classic single-patty burger with American cheese, toasted bun, lettuce, tomato, spread, and onions.
- Hamburger Single-patty burger with toasted bun and choice of onions, served without cheese.
- French Fries Fresh, hand-cut fries prepared in 100% sunflower oil from fresh potatoes shipped from farms and individually cut in stores; no frozen fries.
- Shakes Chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla milkshakes made with real ice cream rather than powder or concentrate.
- Beverages Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, 7UP, Dr Pepper, Root Beer, Pink Lemonade, Iced Tea, Milk, Coffee, and Hot Cocoa served as fountain drinks.
- Grilled Cheese Vegetarian sandwich with melted cheese on a toasted bun and fresh vegetables, with no beef patty.
- Cookout Truck Catering Service Fully self-contained mobile cookout trailers that bring In-N-Out burgers, fries, and drinks directly to private events including corporate picnics, weddings, birthdays, and parties; staffed by In-N-Out associates and capable of producing 200 burgers per hour.
- Gift Cards Reloadable prepaid gift cards sold at all In-N-Out restaurant locations, redeemable for menu purchases; minimum reload $5, maximum balance $200.
- Company Store Merchandise Branded apparel, accessories, and collectible items such as T-shirts, beach towels, board shorts, and the annual ugly Christmas sweater sold through company-owned retail stores and the online storefront.
Quantifiable outcome
- $2.1 billion in sales (2023) with only ~400 locations, demonstrating high revenue per location efficiency
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use In-N-Out Burger
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
In-N-Out Burger technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
In-N-Out Burger partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Biola UniversityminorIn-N-Out Burger heiress Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson served as the largest donor in Biola University's history for a new 45,463-square-foot movie and media studio (Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts). This represents personal philanthropy rather than formal corporate partnership.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves18 records
Expansion highlights6 records
In-N-Out Burger competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
In-N-Out Burger social profiles
Digital presenceIn-N-Out Burger financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
In-N-Out Burger leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
In-N-Out Burger subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
In-N-Out Burger funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
In-N-Out Burger M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about In-N-Out Burger
What does In-N-Out Burger do?
In-N-Out Burger operates more than 400 company-owned drive-thru restaurants across 10 U.S. states serving a deliberately limited menu of made-to-order hamburgers, cheeseburgers, Double-Doubles, hand-cut French fries, real ice cream shakes, and fountain beverages. All food is prepared fresh to order using 100% USDA ground chuck from in-house patty-making facilities, fresh hand-cut potatoes, and 100% sunflower oil; the company maintains an explicit no-microwave and no-freezer policy across every location.
Is In-N-Out Burger a public or private company?
In-N-Out Burger is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was In-N-Out Burger founded?
In-N-Out Burger was founded in 1948. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is In-N-Out Burger based?
In-N-Out Burger is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does In-N-Out Burger make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are company Store Merchandise and cookout Truck Events.
Does In-N-Out Burger have an API?
No public API is recorded for In-N-Out Burger.
What industry is In-N-Out Burger in?
In-N-Out Burger's product category is Quick-Service Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAAAA, Burger QSR, with a secondary code of THAFABAA, Burger Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.