How often do we see fast food portrayed in a negative manner in the media? Consequently America is one of the fattest nations in the world, we are constantly looking to improve our diets by eating healthier food even though 25 percent of Americans consume fast food every day. Fast food isn’t always unhealthy, but most of the time it is. In fact people are ordering foods with more fat, calories, sugar, sodium, and less nutrition and vitamins than what is necessary. In this situation, fast food restaurants want to maintain a positive image.
Even though they are both fast food joints, In N Out Burger differs from McDonald’s in their business practices, the quality of product served, and their advertising. In N Out Burger’s business practices are vastly different than McDonald’s. In N Out Burger has remained a family owned operation, and has resisted the temptaion of franchising and going public because of the prospect of quality and customer service consistency being altered because of the standards they have set when hiring new associates.
On the other hand, any McDonald’s restaurant is operated as a franchise, an affiliate, or the corporation itself. The McDonald’s Corporation earns revenue as an investor in properties, a franchiser of restaurants, and an operator of restaurants. McDonald’s collects money on franchise and marketing fees, and may even collect on rent, which may be calculated on the basis of sales. McDonald’s is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, and they serve around 68 million customers each day. The average hourly pay for a basic McDonald’s employee in the United States is $7. 6, and around $9. 50 for a management position. The starting pay for an In N Out Burger associate is considerably higher, and they start off at $10 per hour.
Managers are known to make six figures annualy, and if they meet their yearly goals the company will take them on a first-class trip to either Europe or the Caribbean. On the other hand, McDonald’s managers make on average between $17 thousand and $36 thousand annualy. All associates at In N Out Burger are offered a 401k, vision and dental benefits, paid vacation, and basic life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
McDonald’s full time employees earn free uniforms, free or discounted meals, medical insurance, short-term disability, life insurance, 401k plans, and paid vacation. In N Out Burger takes pride in the quality and freshness of their food products. For example, the motto “Quality you can taste” is displayed at every location above the handout counter. No In N Out Burger location is more than a day’s drive away from a distribution center, and all the food products used are prepared fresh each day. They have their own butcher line to ensure that the beef patties are fresh.
No meat pattie is older than three days from the time of slaughter to the time of being cooked. They bake their own buns, and the fries are handcut, and everything is made to order. Hundreds of pounds of fresh Kennebec potatoes are peeled each day to make the fries. The lettuce is hand leafed every morning along with the onion used for each day. The matriarch of In N Out, Esther Snyder, was known to have her driver take her to In N Out drive-thrus unannounced to order a burger, take it to the parking lot and take it apart to make sure it was constructed correctly.
The In N Out menu has remained relatively unchanged since 1948, and consists of three basic burgers: hamburger, cheeseburger, and the “Double-Double” which is double meat and double cheese. French fries, fountain drinks, and three types of shakes are available. There are no freezers, microwaves, or heat lamps at any In N Out Burger location. Since McDonald’s has locations in over 119 different countries world wide, most of the food is pre-packaged and frozen. Apple and cherry pies are pre-made and contained in a package that must be heated to remain warm.
The hash browns, chicken, and beef are all delivered fresh frozen to the stores. The beef patties, chicken patties, and nuggets are all frozen raw, and must be thawed before cooked. We often see fast food restaurants sponsoring big events such as the Olypmics. McDonald’s is one of the current worldwide Olympic partners, and has maintained an extensive advertisement campaign for several decades. In addition to television, radio, and newspaper coverage, the company uses many billboards and signs, and sponsors sporting events such as the Little League World Series.
Ronald McDonald is a clown character that is used as the primary McDonald’s mascot. McDonald’s has used 23 different slogans in United States advertising. On the other hand, In N Out Burger uses a very minimalistic advertising campaign. Roadside billboards typically have a picture of the trademarked Double-Double and points drivers to the nearest location. They use short radio commercials, which often say “In N Out, In N Out. That’s what a hamburger’s all about. ” Television commercials are much less common, and, like the billboards, typically just feature the Double-Double and the In N Out jingle.
In N Out benefits positively from word of mouth advertisement by enthusiastic fans. When Heisman Trophy winner 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. We’re kind of a small company, and we do not have any celebrity endorsers. But I think we just got the best one we could have. ” While both In N Out Burger and McDonald’s are fast food joints, they differ in more ways than one.
In N Out Burger raises the bar for other fast food restaurants with their business practices, to the way they treat their employees and the quality of product they serve. In fact, In N Out Burger was one of the very few restaurants given a positive mention in the book Fast Food Nation. The book commended the chain for using natural and fresh ingredients and for looking after the interests of employees regarding pay and benefits. In N Out Burger started with the American Dream, and will continue to achieve widespread popularity wherever they open a new location.
