Why In-N-Out Keeps Asking Customers This One Question

Some might argue that In-N-Out is America's best burger chain, and the West Coast staple has its systems down to a science. Some employees on Reddit have estimated that their stores sell at least 2,000 burgers per day, sometimes up to 3,000 on the weekends. With that many orders going through the doors (or out the drive-thru window) you know that employees must have an efficient workflow. To ensure this, there is one question that you'll most certainly be asked in the drive-thru line that might be a bit confusing to newcomers, but the answer given has a real effect on how your order will be packaged. 

As one customer pointed out in the In-N-Out subreddit, they were surprised when asked by an employee whether they would be eating in their car or not while ordering in the drive-thru lane. Unfortunately for the customer (who had actually planned on bringing their large order home), they were served items in a ready-to-eat format, signalling that they should have requested their order "to-go". While eating in the car might not be the most glamorous dining situation, it's incredibly common for In-N-Out customers, so much so that it's a standard question asked when ordering from the drive-thru line. Another Reddit user, who is also an In-N-Out employee, responded by saying that the question is "a script," adding, "I ask the question for every person no matter what." 

When a fast food chain is consistently as busy as In-N-Out, they need to have their systems working flawlessly, especially the drive-thru. In fact, we have In-N-Out to thank for the invention of the fast food drive-thru. When you place an order in the drive-thru and indicate you'll be eating in your car, the In-N-Out workers package the order differently than they would if you were taking the order to-go. To-go orders are nicely wrapped up and placed in a paper bag for transportation and to keep the order warm, compared to orders destined for eating in the car, which come in a more exposed, open cardboard box, similar to the tall-sided red trays in which dine-in orders are served. This open-topped box allows for direct access to your food while still lending a bit of stability and cleanliness to the experience of eating food from your lap while in the car seat.

I will say that as a Southern California native who grew up eating In-N-Out, and as someone who still frequents the burger chain on road trips, eating In-N-Out can be a messy experience. While dining on fries and a milkshake makes for a fairly car-safe experience, I have learned the hard way that it can be especially messy for those who order their fries animal-style or their burgers protein-style, meaning fries are loaded with topping or burgers are wrapped in iceberg lettuce rather than a bun. Ultimately, the seemingly strange question in the drive-thru is essential to getting the best experience possible from your In-N-Out order.