Did you know that In-N-Out opened its first burger stand in L.A.'s Baldwin Park neighborhood
way back in 1948?
So, why can't you visit the original location anymore?
Keep watching to find out.
California-based fast-food chain In-N-Out Burger is known for its no-frills array of
affordable burgers, fries, soft drinks, and milkshakes, as well as its "not-so-secret"
menu.
If you live in the Golden State, you likely know where your nearest In-N-Out is.
And you might even have your go-to order memorized by heart.
From humble beginnings, In-N-Out Burger founders Esther and Harry Snyder operated a small burger
stand, only 10 square feet in size, along a busy roadside in Baldwin Park in 1948.
Offering up quality burgers with all the fresh fixings was a priority for the owners, and
burgers are still the focal point of this family-owned chain.
"We keep it simple."
If you're curious about visiting the chain's original 1948 location, however, you won't
be able to order food there.
The original In-N-Out Burger stand in Baldwin Park was forced to shut down due to a factor
outside the founders' control: the construction of the 10 Freeway through Los Angeles.
But the Snyders decided to build a replacement drive-thru, and they didn't have to go far
to do it.
The new In-N-Out Burger location was constructed just 75 yards away from the original — it
even had a similar structure to the one we're familiar with today.
The story doesn't stop there; this replacement location was abandoned and fenced off in November
of 2004 when the Snyders opened a larger version of the restaurant farther away.
The defunct eatery was originally supposed to become a museum to preserve In-N-Out's
history.
So, Baldwin Park city officials and residents were surprised when the company got a permit
to demolish it in 2011.
Councilwoman Susan Rubio told the Los Angeles Times:
"When you think of Baldwin Park, you think of In-N-Out burgers.
This is part of our history.
[...] My preference would've been preserving a bit of the old."
At the time, the company's vice president of planning and development announced that
the chain was considering turning the demolished building into a replica of the 1948 burger
stand.
This happened in 2014.
You can still go to the replica today, but it's for photo-ops only, as it's not an operating
restaurant.
While you can't visit the original Baldwin Park location of In-N-Out Burger, you'll still
feel the chain's fast-food legacy any time you order drive-thru.
The franchise pioneered a major fast-food invention: the two-way speaker, which lets
customers order from their cars.
That's right!
You have the California-based chain to thank for all of those late-night snack runs.
And that's not all!
AAA reports that back in 1948, In-N-Out Burger gave customers sheets of butcher paper to
use as makeshift placemats while they ate.
This was done so customers could avoid spilling sauce or other burger drippings in their cars.
How genius of a move is that?
"In-N-Out, fresh every step of the way."
In-N-Out Burger can't lay claim to the invention of the drive-thru itself, though.
As AAA notes, a restaurant named Red's Giant Hamburg reportedly used drive-thru service
in 1947.
Still, it's hard to imagine the modern drive-thru without that two-way intercom system.
Like Chick-fil-A, the In-N-Out chain also has ties to Christianity.
Richard Snyder, son of In-N-Out Burger founders Esther and Harry Snyder, started the practice
of printing the fast-food chain's cups and wrappers with Bible verses.
In-N-Out Burger spokesperson Carl Van Fleet told USA Today in 2005:
"He told me, 'It's just something I want to do.'"
Today explains that Lynsi Snyder, granddaughter of Esther and Harry, and the current owner
of In-N-Out Burger, is also a practicing Christian.
Snyder told The Christian Post in 2019:
"I finally found that the deep need in my heart can only be filled by Jesus and my identity
in him."
She also told the outlet that she'd added Bible verses to more In-N-Out packaging items
than the ones originally set forth by her uncle.
While the original In-N-Out Burger location is closed for business, fans will still get
a taste of the Snyders' vision with details like the Bible verses on its packaging as
well as the drive-thru speaker system.
In-N-Out Burger is without a doubt a fast-food pioneer, even if its original location is
no longer in operation.
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