2022
I had difficulty selecting the right photos of In-N-Out burgers for this article because I have taken so very many of them over the last 20 years...
Growing up in Los Angeles, the In-N-Out Burger was a near-weekly experience. For a very affordable price, quick service, fresh food with a local history framed on every wall was one of our go-to meals. The way I speak about In-N-Out Burgers might sound like an advertisement, but for those of us who grew up in southern California, the love of this restaurant chain is a passion that we just don't leave behind. I have seen people wearing their branded t-shirts in airports, given them a thumbs-up, and this commonality alone is an adequate ice-breaker to strike up a conversation.
In-N-Out was first opened in 1948. The location was just under 10 square feet in size. In 1948, they utilized speaker technology to open their first drive-thru location. Starting in 1971, they used printed paper mats for serving customers. As a child, I remember studying their company history and eyeing their map to see where other nearby locations were.
Later in life I moved to Bozeman, Montana. Over 1,000 miles away from the nearest In-N-Out Burger. I am proud to say that twice in my 20's I convinced friends to take a road trip with me to have this meal - once to Provo, Utah and once to Las Vegas, Nevada. Both times, it was absolutely worth it. The company is now more than 70 years old and has more than 330 locations - meaning the drive to an In-N-Out is getting shorter and shorter.
The taste of the food has not changed in 30 years, and their style of decor is identical across all locations across all time-frames, and because of this, eating at these establishments is a bit of a time-machine for memories.
In 2018, I had the pleasure of bringing a few other Local Guides to In-N-Out Burger in the evening after our Connect Live activities had ended. For transportation, @PennyChristie and I utilized the Connect Live van. After documenting our mischief on social media, we were lucky enough to be re-shared by the Local Guides channel - image below. I've also included a link to the original video... May all our journeys be so much fun.
This post is part of the #StateChallenge organized by @Kwiksatik and @Denise_Barlock. If you want to find out more, check out this post. You can also find other submissions by searching the #StateChallenge hashtag. There is also a virtual meet-up on California coming up which you can sign up to here!
Yum! @Kwiksatik Now I'm hungry for a delicious In-N-Out burger. Where's that orange Connect Live bus these days? I need it to pick me up from Sydney please. I'm starving and craving some of those secret menu animal fries we shared. Is that what they were called?
@PaulPavlinovich I have no memory of seeing that footage before! Thank you so much for bringing such a big smile to my face!
@PaulPavlinovich just saw this footage (again) and still find it hysterical. Thank you so much for posting it!
