In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules »

Stacy Perman, a journalist, is a former writer with Time magazine and Business 2.0. Her work has appeared in many publications including The Wall Street Journal, Inc. magazine, Los Angeles magazine, and Sports Illustrated Woman. She is the recipient of the Robert Bosch Foundation fellowship in Germany, a JAPUS Foundation fellowship in Japan, and a grant from UCLA's Center for International and Strategic Affairs.

The untold story of the renegade burger chain that evokes a passionate following unlike any other

In fast-food corporate America, In-N-Out Burger stands apart. Begun in a tiny shack in the shadow of World War II, this family-owned chain has steadfastly refused to franchise or be sold. Over time, In-N-Out Burger has become nothing less than a cultural institution that can lay claim to an insanely loyal following.

Stacy Perman's In-N-Out Burger is the inside story behind a real American success story—not only a tale of a unique and profitable business but also of a family's struggle to maintain a sustainable pop empire against the industry it helped pioneer. A keenly observed narrative that explores the transformation of a California fad into an enduring cult of popularity, it is also the story of the conflicted, secretive, and ultimately tragic Snyder family, who cooked a billion burgers and hooked a zillion fans.

Publishers Weekly

Perman (Spies Inc.) casts an affectionate and admiring eye at In-N-Out Burger, the family-owned, Southern California chain that has become a "cultural institution" without franchising, going public, changing its menu or precooking its burgers. This book traces the history of the company and the Snyders, the family that founded and still owns In-N-Out, interspersed with the evolution of the fast-food industry. Perman never makes good on her promise to go "behind-the-counter" and analyze the company's dealings-her access to executives and family members did not extend to gleaning financial or strategic information-consequently it's never clear whether In-N-Out's conservatism is a conscious business strategy, a personal preference of the owners or plain complacency. More a glowing fan letter from an appreciative customer than exposé, this book has more to say about the company's celebrity fans, American family dynamics and our collective love affair with fast food. (Apr.)

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