I’m reading “In-N-Out: A Behind The Counter Look At The Fast Food Chain That Breaks All The Rules.” Great book, and worth picking up. Now, a few years back I contacted In-N-Out corporate to see about doing an interview… I have always been super-impressed with their simple menu, amazing service, and cult-like following (they average almost double the sales of a McDonald’s) – anyway…

…They turned me down flat

And who can blame them… I wanted to find out what made them so successful, and then tell tens of thousands of restaurant owners what I’d learned. Needless to say – they like to keep their marketing secrets – secret.

What I was able to do though – was interview a past boyfriend of my younger sister – he’d been an In-N-Out manager for a while. Their success all boiled down to one word – “simplicity.” They paid better than the competition, kept their menu down to just burgers, fries, milkshakes and soda… and they pay their vendors well – but demand the best quality products in return.

This allows them to be very picky about who they hire… they pick smiling faces over experience. Their menu is so simple – they can easily train, employees and deliver the same great product time after time. They are loyal to vendors and don’t haggle… vendors know however – that if the quality ever slips, they’ll be dropped like a used Kleenex.

Okay, let’s talk “message”

In-N-Out doesn’t let people wonder or speculate on why the burgers are so tasty – they drill the message in at very opportunity. The liner on the take-out tray, the wrapper on the burger, and the container the fries come in – all reinforce the core story. Look at the burger-wrap…

The French Fry container says: Fresh Potatoes… Since 1948, we’ve been cooking (notice they don’t say frying) our fries in 100% trans-fat free, cholesterol-free vegetable oil. Our potatoes are peeled and diced at each store and cooked fresh for you.”

In-N-Out doesn’t advertise – they educate. You should develop a “core story” for your restaurant and drill it in at every opportunity. Put it on menus, ads, wrappers, cups, boxes… and make sure every single employee knows it by heart.