“This book grills up an enjoyable read for both avid foodies and novice diners alike! Perman’s sneak peek into the fascinating history of In-N-Out is as good as the delicious burgers themselves.”
—Mario Batali, celebrity chef and author of Molto Italiano
A behind-the-counter look at the fast-food chain that breaks all the rules, Stacy Perman’s In-N-Out Burger is the New York Times bestselling inside story of the family behind the California-based hamburger chain with a cult following large enough to rival the Grateful Dead’s. A juicy unauthorized history of a small business-turned-big business titan, In-N-Out Burger was named one of Fast Company magazine’s Best Business Books of 2009, and Fortune Small Business insists that it “should be required reading for family business owners, alongside Rich Cohen’s Sweet and Low and Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks.”
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"This a nice overview of the creation of the chain that is Southern Californian to the core. The author has tried to be as balanced as possible using what information is available on the very private family that is behind the chain. It helps a fan of the In N Out chain to understand the politics that went on behind the scene with the family and as the family died off leaving the young reluctant heiress behind to roll the dice on the family future. One hopes that she reads this book with an objective eye to understand where her family's heart lay and continue a long time tradition for another generation or six to enjoy." — Kim (4 out of 5 stars)
"This a nice overview of the creation of the chain that is Southern Californian to the core. The author has tried to be as balanced as possible using what information is available on the very private family that is behind the chain. It helps a fan of the In N Out chain to understand the politics that went on behind the scene with the family and as the family died off leaving the young reluctant heiress behind to roll the dice on the family future. One hopes that she reads this book with an objective eye to understand where her family's heart lay and continue a long time tradition for another generation or six to enjoy."
“[An] entertaining corporate history…Perman’s reporting is considerable.”
“Perman’s illuminating new book, In-N-Out Burger, is an absorbing case study of how a family business came to be at the center of its own cheerful cult…Should be required reading for family business owners, alongside Rich Cohen’s Sweet and Low and Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks.”
“At last, the great American small-business story gets told. It is a reassuring read in uncertain times, reminding business owners to listen to customers, do what you love, and have fun while you do it.”
“When fast-food restaurants tried to locate in Fisherman’s Wharf, our local merchants were opposed to every one of them—except In-N-Out. Because every meal is fresh and made from scratch, In-N-Out is in a class by itself.”
“This book grills up an enjoyable read for both avid foodies and novice diners alike! Perman’s sneak peek into the fascinating history of In-N-Out is as good as the delicious burgers themselves, and that’s saying a lot.”
“Here is a fast-paced, top-down ride through the tumultuous history of how one family and the business they fought to control turned the simple hamburger into the culinary symbol of a century and one fast-food restaurant into a legend, revered by Hollywood starlets, America’s greatest chefs, and generations of ordinary folks. Told with the same fresh approach that has turned In-N-Out Burger into an American institution, Perman keeps us wanting more.”
" If you love In-n-Out, this book will reinforce that love. I don't feel guilty about eating there--or at least I won't for a few more years. "
" I thoroughly enjoyed the 1st half of this book, but was a bit depressed on reading the last part. This is a great book for anyone who knows In-N-Out burgers. It's fun to read the story behind how it all got started. "
" Love to eat at In-N-Out. It's rated the best fast food, above McDonalds and all the others. The book is just as good as the food. The story of the family that started and grew In-N-Out Burger is a fascinating read. "
" More a tale of lost opportunity than a tale of success, in my view. These guys could have changed the world but instead spent their focus squabbling over the "Empire". I was pretty blown away by her breathless and ironic excitement about how expensive the owners' London hotel suites were. "
" Fast food doesn't need to be the way it is. "
" This is a very interesting tale about a family-owned company that's iconic in California. I couldn't help but crave a burger the whole time. "
" This book repeats the same ideas over and over. But the information presented was interesting. "
" It was awesome. So interesting. Who doesn't love In-N-Out? It was fun to find out more information about one of our favorite restaurants. "
" A California icon. A great burger. A feuding family. A secret menu. It's all here--a most interesting business model. "
" A quick read but not very well written, and lots of repetition. Felt like an extended magazine article at times. "
" This was actually a good book full of neat info you didn't know about in n out burger. I have always been a huge fan and I am even more so now...Warning, it does make you crave a good in n out burger!!! "
" Snore. But it did make me hungry. "
" I gave up on this book about 2/3 in - just couldn't muster up the inspiration to read the rest. Nice to know that the company is still family-owned though. "
" Loved this book. It gave me a lot of insight to my favorite establishment. I grew up in this area so it was a lot of fun to read about places that I am very familiar with. Course, the book also made me hungry for a cheeseburger :) "
" easy & interesting read if you're a fan of in-n-out or for anyone thinking about getting into the food business. "
" Enjoyable...made me want to go out and order a double double with cheese :-) "
" Good insight about the business models of not only In-N-Out Burger, but the fast food industry in general. I also enjoyed reading about the history of a lot of places where I've lived/visited in Southern California. "
" Interesting read of how In-N-Out Burger grew as California was changing around it. "
" Pretty engrossing tale of the tradition-minded chain barely navigating the rock shoals of a generational transfer made all the more risky by unexpected death, drug addiction, and litigous in-fighting "
" This is a really interesting history of In-N-Out as well as Southern California and the evolution of the fast-food industry. Now that I've finished the book, I'm going straight to In-N-Out for a burger. "
" I know it is hard to write a history of a company when two generations of the family have died but it was pretty clear that the author just did a Lexis-Nexis search to write many chapters of the book. The story itself is somewhat interesting but it is not a must read. "
" Really enjoyed the book but it really made me miss In 'n Out Burgers a lot! "
Stacy Perman, the recipient of the MacDowell fellowship, is an award-winning journalist. She worked for BusinessWeek and Time, covering small business, entrepreneurship, and other similar topics. Her writing has also appeared in Los Angeles magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Business 2.0, and the Wall Street Journal. Her first book provided an inside look at the burger chain In-n-Out. Born in Los Angeles, she has lived in Germany, Japan, and Israel, and she currently lives in New York.
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