[9][10][11] In-N-Out Burger has chosen not to franchise its operations or go public; one reason is the prospect of food quality or customer consistency being compromised by excessively rapid business growth.

[16][17][18] In-N-Out Burger's first location was opened in the Los Angeles suburb of Baldwin Park, California, in 1948 by the Snyders[12] at the southwest corner of what is now the intersection of Interstate 10 and Francisquito Avenue.

The restaurant was the first drive-thru hamburger stand in California, allowing drivers to place orders via a two-way speaker system.

[27] Expansion then spread to Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, while additional Las Vegas-area restaurants were added.

[30] On January 24, 2024, In-N-Out announced the closure of its only store in Oakland, California, due to safety concerns related to crime, marking the first time in its 75-year history that the company has shut down a location.

[31] The company opened locations in Arizona in 2000 and added new restaurants in Reno, Sparks, and Carson City,[32] Nevada, in late 2004.

[51] At the time of the opening, the company had generated $558 million in annual sales and employed nearly 18,000 in California, Nevada, Utah, Texas and Arizona.

The hamburgers come with lettuce, tomato, with or without onions (the customer is asked upon ordering, and may have them fresh or grilled), and a sauce, which is called "spread" (a Thousand Island dressing variant).

This design is a popular image on In-N-Out ads and artwork, which often shows classic cars such as 1965 Mustangs and 1968 Firebirds visiting the original restaurants.

The original Covina restaurant, located on Arrow Highway west of Grand Avenue, was forced to close in the early 1990s due to re-engineering and development of the area.

While the external appearance of its buildings may vary to meet local zoning and architectural requirements, the interior floor plan and decor in most recently constructed In-N-Out restaurants are identical.

Today's typical location has an interior layout that includes a customer service counter with registers in front of a kitchen and food preparation area.

When Heisman Trophy winner and Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith raved about In-N-Out cheeseburgers during a press conference before the 2007 BCS National Championship Game, a senior executive said: "It does not get much better than that for us.

"[83] Huell Howser was allowed, in what is believed to be a first, to film with his television cameras inside a store for a California's Gold Special.

"[15] California native and Colorado Rockies player Jason Giambi would often visit In-N-Out Burger when on the West Coast with his former team, the New York Yankees.

[87] The chain also has fans in a number of renowned chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller, Julia Child, Anthony Bourdain, Ina Garten, and Mario Batali.

[23] Famous London chef/restaurateur Ramsay ate In-N-Out for the first time when taping Hell's Kitchen in Los Angeles, and it soon became one of his favorite spots for take-out.

[90] Julia Child, one of the first celebrities to champion the chain, admitted to knowing every location of the restaurant between Santa Barbara and San Francisco.

Pre-empting the suit, Martinez, Snyder, and Taylor appeared in a December video message to employees, telling them not to believe everything they hear.

[108] In-N-Out Burger has also been plagued by similarly named imitators in Australia that confuse consumers into thinking that the similarly-sounding Australian businesses is associated with the Californian-based chain.

[110] It also appears that In-N-Out has used this practice in other countries as well,[130][131][132] such as in Auckland in 2020;[133][134] London in 2016[135] and in 2018;[136] Toronto in 2014[132] and 2021;[137] Singapore in 2012[138] and 2019;[139] Tokyo in 2012;[140] Shanghai in 2017;[141] Bangkok in 2018;[142] Hong Kong in 2015;[143] Taipei in 2016;[144] Vancouver in 2019;[145] Buenos Aires in 2016;[146] Seoul in 2019;[147] Berlin in 2022;[148] Dublin in 2021;[149] Dubai in 2021;[150] Petaling Jaya in 2018;[151] Cape Town in 2016;[152] Vienna in 2017.

[155] In October 2021, the In-N-Out location in San Francisco was ordered closed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), for failure to enforce the public health order requiring that all dine-in patrons of restaurants present proof that they are fully vaccinated for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

"[156] The location was allowed to re-open for takeout service only until it demonstrates "an adequate process and procedure for complying with the health order".

[158] In July 2023, the company announced that employees in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas and Colorado would not be allowed to wear protective face masks at work, unless they could prove a valid medical exemption.

The stated reason was to "emphasize the importance of customer service and the ability to show our associates' smiles and other facial features," according to a company memo.

[165] Based in Irvine, California, the foundation "supports organizations that provide residential treatment, emergency shelter, foster care, and early intervention for children in need".

Its grant-making activities are restricted to eligible nonprofit groups that are located or provide services in areas where In-N-Out has a presence.

[166] Consequently, grant proposals are only accepted from applicants in a limited number of counties in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Texas.

[167] In 2010, the most recent year for which financial reporting is publicly available (and before the opening of the company's Texas locations),[168] the foundation contributed $1,545,250 to 231 grantees in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.

[167] In-N-Out Burger founded the Slave 2 Nothing Foundation in 2016 to "improve the lives of individuals and families affected by substance abuse and/or human trafficking".