HW 1/26

Having lived in California all my life, living at TCU, in Texas, has been somewhat of a culture shock. However, there are some places in fort worth that distinctly remind me of my home in southern California. The most noticeable is probably In-N-Out Burger.

Founded in southern California in 1948, In-N-Out waited almost 60 years before expanding the chain outside the California region, giving the chain a distinct feel of a California culture and mentality. More recently, several In-N-Out burgers have opened up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Including one within close proximity to TCU.

In-N-Out restaurants exude a sense of old California style. Driving into the parking lot the first thing you notice is several fifties style roadster automobiles parked around the parking lot. Also several palm trees, a relative oddity in Texas, dot the parking lot. The building itself is entirely white with red roofing and the signature In-N-out arrow, giving the building a simple retro feel. The inside is much the same as the out side with white floors and walls with red trim on the booths and counters.

The food itself is also fairly simple, with the focus on quality not variety. The menu only offers three simple meals a cheeseburger, hamburger and the signature Double-Double. When your food arrives you notice the packaging it comes in have the same simple red and white theme as the building itself, no advertisements, on flashy logos. Although a perceptive customer may notice a discrete text block reading "john 3:16" or "revelation 3:20" if they look on the bottom of their soda cup.

By only expanding slowly and keeping a simple style and atmosphere in their restaurants, In-N-Out has created a reputation of a old time family owned and operated restaurant that is dedicated to quality food and service not just large profits.