15 Facts We Learned From In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder's New Book

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Though the iconic In-N-Out chain remains associated with its sunny California home, it has become famous throughout the country for the foods it does best: burgers, fries, and shakes. Passed down through three generations of the Snyder family, this once simple hamburger stand has grown into a massive company with branches in several states, yet it has never stopped providing the best in friendly service and delicious all-American fast food.

Current owner Lynsi Snyder, the only grandchild of the franchise's original founders, has written a book all about the company's inner workings, as well as her own family's history. Her perspective on watching the chain expand while growing up in the innovative and hard-working Snyder family is enlightening. The book is titled "The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger," and it also includes a whole lot of the chain's secrets, family mysteries, and cool facts you probably never knew about In-N-Out. 

We took a peek at the book and noted some of the most interesting facts we learned. We also found answers to long-standing questions about the chain's specials, history, and not-so-secret "secret" In-N-Out menu. If you're a fan of the burger chain or food history in general, you'll find these facts interesting, too. 

In the early days of In-N-Out, young men and their dates, who were sometimes friends of workers in the store, would hang out in the parking lots. In true 1950s greaser style, they would play their music loudly, honk their horns, and generally cause a fun youthful ruckus. Helpers — what workers were called at the time — referred to them as "animals," generally in a somewhat playful way, according to Lynsi Snyder's "The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger."

During this era, store manager Theo Roberts used to make himself a custom burger with pickles, grilled onion, and extra spread. One of the "animals" asked for it and then couldn't get enough of it, proceeding to ask for it every night. Eventually, it became so popular among this crowd that the order was nicknamed "Animal Style." Today, it remains one of the most beloved and popular items on In-N-Out's secret menu. You can also make pretty much anything Animal Style, including the store's fries, or opt for one of the many other modifiers and customizations that the In-N-Out secret menu sells.

As the son of Harry Snyder, Rich Snyder took over In-N-Out at the young age of 24 and brought a slightly different way of doing things. He was responsible for much of the company's expansion and innovations, like Burger Television (BTV), for which he put a production team together to create content for training and development.

In the '90s, In-N-Out had officially expanded to over 71 stores. Rich decided that instead of working in a lavish office, it would make more sense to operate out of an office on wheels as the head of a rapidly expanding chain. Rich commissioned a customized bus where he would take meetings with vendors and associates on the road. It enabled better face-to-face relations with important collaborators and employees. He would also stop and check in on stores, ensuring each location he visited was maintaining quality control and serving the best burgers possible.

Many of Rich's decisions revolved around centering associates and customers and providing a superior experience to them. In addition to the bus, he established a direct 1-800 line so customers could call In-N-Out and have their questions answered by someone with in-store experience. These days, a lot of questions concern whether new In-N-Out locations are about to be opened anywhere near a prospective customer's home, per "The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger."

Harry Snyder loved cars, and he would frequently take his sons to the Irwindale Drag Strip to spend quality time together watching the races. In fact, in 1965, he became part owner of the drag strip and set up two snack bars there that did amazingly well.

The family's appreciation for automobiles continued to grow after seeing all the classic cruisers driving through their stores every day. Both Guy and Rich would tinker with cars growing up, building them up and racing them. Since Guy got the nickname "Flying Dutchman" when Lynsi grew up, and it was time to choose a racing nickname for herself, she chose "Flying Dutch Fox" as a tribute to her father.

Several members of the family participated in drag racing, including current president Lynsi Snyder, per her book, "The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger." The store itself is partnered with the Pomona Drag Strip. In fact, the chain's 70th and 75th anniversaries were both celebrated at the dragstrip. For the 70th anniversary in 2018, In-N-Out celebrated alongside Hot Rod magazine.

In 1978, A USDA inspector had come by In-N-Out's headquarters and was reportedly working in his onsite office when, one day, he left a space heater on. This small heater ended up causing a huge fire at In-N-Out's primary warehouse, destroying tons of products and archives, as well as the space where workers prepared the chain's meat and spread. Unfortunately, this devastating fire occurred just 18 months after Rich Snyder assumed leadership, right as he was getting his footing. 

However, with hard work, creative thinking, and loyal vendors, the family and company rallied. Rich proved his ability to lead by facing the problem head-on and working out deals with vendors, who rewarded the Snyder family's loyalty to them by rushing to replace damaged and lost inventory. Esther Snyder set up desks for the entire accounting team to come and work from her home. Eventually, the Snyders rebuilt the headquarters in Baldwin Park, and the company rebounded from this unexpected crisis it experienced at a vulnerable time.

Family matriarch Esther Snyder was a particularly faithful woman and a devoted Christian. She raised her children to believe in God, and while the rest of the Snyder family members ended up believing or not believing to varying degrees, there's no doubt that religion informed the family's business practices. It also likely played a role in helping shape In-N-Out's charitable organizations, as well as its efforts to always give back to the community. 

This is why if you look closely at the wrapper on your next In-N-Out burger, you may notice a Bible verse printed on it. Current CEO Lynsi Snyder is a devout Christian whose own faith helps guide her in leading the organization. There are a few different verses floating around, and the one you get usually depends on what you order. For example, Revelation 3:20 is on hamburger and cheeseburger bags, while Nahum 1:7 is on Double Double wrappers.

The founding family of In-N-Out has always believed in the importance of working your way up and appreciating the duties and effort of every single member of the chain's family of workers. As Harry Snyder's only grandchild, Lynsi knew she was in line to take over the burger chain. However, she didn't want to simply be handed control of a business she had never fully worked in and understood.

So when Lynsi turned 17 in 1999, she applied to work at In-N-Out's brand-new Redding location while refusing to disclose who her father was and her relation to the chain's executives. Even though Guy offered to make a call and get her in, she politely declined and instead waited in line outside the store for two hours to fill out an application. She gradually worked her way through training and learned the ins and outs of working at an In-N-Out store, an experience that would end up informing her understanding of the company as well as what it takes to work in almost every role of each store.

As part of the secret menu, you can order a burger you love with all the ingredients and condiments wrapped separately to be eaten later. This wonderful solution is understandably named the Fly-away Burger. It's for those traveling from the West Coast (or an In-N-Out state) to somewhere the burger chain doesn't exist, like the In-N-Out-less East Coast.

So, if you're leaving California, for example, you can order the ingredients of your favorite burger, and a store employee will give you everything separately. Most of the ingredients won't spoil for the few hours you will find yourself on the plane. Carry the burger components with you, then heat up and assemble everything when you land. This order is a great idea for those who want to take a little bit of In-N-Out with them and introduce it to a far-away friend who has never tried.