Why In-N-Out has barely changed its business for 75 years — not even its fries

The year was 1948. But when Harry and Esther Snyder opened the first In-N-Out Burger, they had just a spit of land on Francisquito and Garvey avenues in Baldwin Park. It is fair to say that the iconoclastic family-owned In-N-Out Burger — now run by third-generation heiress Lynsi Snyder — is not just a burger joint or even a fast-food chain. Yet even as the chain has grown and expanded, it has adhered to Harry Snyder’s motto: “Keep it simple, do one thing and do it the best you can.” The classic In-N-Out menu. Los Angeles Times staff writer Stacy Perman is the author of the bestselling “In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-The-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All The Rules.”