Unlock the Surprising Story of the Couple Whose Drive-Thru Dream Grew into a $4 Billion Family Triumph
Here's the incredible story of how they grew their little 10-by-10 foot restaurant stand into a nationwide chain with 416 locations scattered across the U.S.
There are a few ways you can perforate your eardrum. According to the Mayo Clinic it could happen from a middle ear infection, barotrauma, loud sounds, foreign objects, severe head trauma, and pressure from flying or diving.
But no matter how it happens, sometimes it can be quite painful. And it can affect your hearing, even throwing off your balance.
If you wanted to join the military, well you might not be able to do so depending on the severity of the injury. If you do make it in, you probably would be disqualified from combat and field roles (e.g., infantry, artillery, special forces).
More than likely you’d be assigned a non-combat role, like doing clerical duties.
That’s what Harry Snyder did when he joined the Navy during WWII. He served as yeoman -a person who performs administrative and clerical duties that support any operational and logistical functions.
Harry was born on September 9, 1913, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to Dutch immigrants Hendrick and Mary Snyder. Sometime in 1915 when he was just two years old, his father and mother immigrated to the U.S., settling initially in Seattle.
Then in 1922 the family moved to Santa Monica, California where Harry mostly grew up.
There’s not a lot of information about Harry’s father or why the family came to the U.S. However since they were Dutch, Hendrick probably worked in a trade or labor-intensive job such as carpentry, farming or small business - typical of early 20th-century immigrants.
Although the early 1920’s was a time of economic growth here in the U.S., his dad earned a modest income. So as a teenager, Harry took on odd jobs to help support his family.
In 1941 under the Selective Service Act, Harry was of prime age to join the military - right around the time WWII broke out. I can’t say for certain how long he served but he probably stayed until the war ended in 1945.
After his service was completed, Harry worked as a caterer at Fort Lawton, Seattle, where he met his future wife, Esther Snyder. She was working as a manager at a restaurant in Fort Lawton.
One day in 1947, Harry Snyder came to the restaurant delivering boxes of sandwiches. It must have been love at first sight because they soon married, and in early 1948 the couple took off for Southern California.
And that’s where Harry along with Esther came up with an idea that in essence turned cars into “eat in restaurants.” In fact he’s considered an early pioneer in the industry.
The first of its kind little restaurant business he created all those years ago has now grown into a family fortune worth over $3 billion.
We’ll Take Your Land for Free
About 3,500 years ago a small native American Indian tribe known as the Tongva, traveled from Nevada to Southern California.
They established several villages, potentially as many as 100, across Los Angeles, Orange, and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In fact their territory spanned approximately 4,000 square miles, from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Pacific coast, including the San Gabriel Valley where you’ll find Baldwin Park.
They were skilled fishermen, hunters and gatherers and often exchanged goods with neighboring tribes like the Cahuilla, Chumash, and Kumeyaay.
The Tongva tribe had a deep connection to the land and water. They also had strong religious beliefs.
Unfortunately their way of life was shattered when the Spanish invaded the area, setting up missionaries such as the San Gabriel Mission in 1771, which was located in the heart of Tongva territory.
The Spaniards forcibly relocated many of the Tongvas and made them convert to Christianity. If that wasn’t bad enough, they were used as laborers against their will for agriculture and construction projects.
After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, the missions through Mexican land grants redistributed Tongva territory. Things got worse for the Tongvas in 1848 when California was given to the U.S. via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican American War.
New U.S. policies favored American settlers and ignored Indigenous land rights. By the late 19th century, the Tongvas were largely erased from public records, with many assimilating into Mexican American or Anglo communities to survive.
These new settlers were mostly cattle ranchers and farmers. Some even became vineyards. In 1860, the community was named Vineland, reflecting its agricultural roots with small farms and vineyards.
However by 1906, it was renamed Baldwin Park after Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, a wealthy landowner who purchased thousands of acres in 1875 to establish a farming community. Baldwin also invested in roads, schools, and infrastructure that spurred growth, and eventually transformed the area into a flourishing rural village.
And in that village is where Harry and Esther set up a little restaurant business. But it wasn’t your typical restaurant. Nope, their focus was all about “eating on the go.”
Speak To Me
After World War II, the United States saw a boom in car ownership and suburban growth, particularly in California. This “car culture” was fairly dominate along California’s coastal cities and in urban as well as rural areas, such as Baldwin Park.
Harry with an eye for detail began noticing how many people were driving around in their cars. And that’s when he got the idea - what if he opened a restaurant with a drive-thru where people could place their orders and then drive to the window and pick it up.
So with $5,000, he and Esther opened their drive-thru stand on October 22, 1948. Customers would place their orders through the customized two-way speaker system Harry had developed in his garage.
This meant customers could “speak” their orders while still in their cars, and the staff inside the restaurant prepared the food. And the food served were burgers, french fries and shakes using fresh quality ingredients.
At the time, using a two-way speaker to place food orders was a novel concept - one used mostly in other industries. But Harry adapted it for his burger stand because he wanted customers to experience the convenience of ordering from their cars.
In truth, Harry’s two-way speaker system became a model for later fast-food drive-thrus. Chains like McDonald’s (first drive-thru in 1975) and Wendy’s (1971) adopted similar intercom systems, building on the efficiency Harry pioneered.
A Burger is Born
Harry and Esther’s small 10-by-10 foot restaurant featured a simple menu of burgers, french fries and soft drinks. Customers could drive in, place an order through the two-way radio and then go out with food in hand.
Or they could eat it right there in their cars. And if they did make that choice, Harry and Esther handed out butcher paper to protect a customers’ clothes.
Harry and Esther’s focus was on getting great tasting food to their customers quickly … or as their slogan says, “No Delay.”
That’s also why they named their restaurant In-N-Out Hamburger.
In the beginning, Esther and Harry were the only employees. He cooked the food, and she kept the books.
But the burgers he cooked where different than what other fast food restaurants offered. Harry insisted on using fresh meat, not frozen beef patties.
And the same was true for the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions used, which were delivered fresh, often daily, to ensure crispness and flavor.
And the fries were made from hand peeled potatoes and cut fresh daily, then fried in 100% sunflower oil. This is a stark difference with the frozen, pre-cut fries used by most chains.
Esther later recalled in an interview, “No matter the price, Harry believed that the customer deserved the best product they could produce.”
In-N-Out Hamburger was an immediate success. Some reports say that in their first month, Harry and Esther sold around two thousand hamburgers.
In 1951 the couple opened their second location in Covina, California. They also had their first son, Guy. A year later, Esther gave birth to a second son, Rich.
The appeal of fresh made burgers and fries grew by leaps and bounds through the 1950’s and 1960’s. Their Baldwin Park location became a destination for celebrities such Lucille Ball and Bob Hope when traveling from Los Angeles to their second homes in Palm Springs.
Even the “hot-rod” youth culture made In-N-Out Hamburger one of their favorite places to hangout. After all, they could show off their cars in the parking lot while eating freshly made burgers and fries.
Expanding the business happened ever so slowly. That’s because the Snyders refused to buy anything on credit or resisted turning their restaurant into a franchise.
They took their time opening new stands and only did so in carefully picked locations - mostly where people had to commute to work, entertainment or other activities.
Their second location was La Verne, California, which sits below the San Gabriel Mountains. The city is bisected by California State Route 210 and Historic U.S. Route 66, with nearby cities including San Dimas, Claremont, and Pomona.
Growing One Burger at A Time
By 1952, the couple had made enough money to open store No. 5, which is located at 2114 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. It’s one of the oldest store that’s still standing.
They continued adding more locations and made a few changes to the menu. For instance in 1958, they replaced bottled soft drinks with fountain drinks.
Then in 1963 they introduced the Double-Double:
Two slices of American cheese.
Lettuce, tomato, onions (grilled or raw, based on your preference), and spread (In-N-Out’s signature tangy sauce, similar to Thousand Island dressing).
Served on a toasted bun.
It soon became one of their signature burgers.
In 1971, they open up two more locations, one outside of the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys and the other in North Hollywood.
By 1973, restaurant No. 10 opened in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles. Harry Snyder, who happened to be a fan of the 1963 film “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” began planting crossed palm trees in front of most of his restaurants.
That’s because in the movie, the treasure is buried under palm trees with trunks that cross over one another to resemble a “big W.”
By 1976, In-N-Out had 18 locations, all in Los Angeles County, California. Unfortunately that’s the same year Harry passed away from cancer.
But expansion of the restaurants continued under Harry’s son, Rich Snyder, who became president at age 24. The chain focused on maintaining quality and gradually opening new locations.
By 1989, In-N-Out had approximately 55 locations, still primarily in California, with expansion beginning to extend beyond Los Angeles County into Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
Famous and Still Family Owned
In-N-Out was gaining customers and celebrity following. For instance Bob Hope hired an In-N-Out cookout trailer for his 92nd birthday in 1995.
Paris Hilton who was craving a burger after a night out of partying stopped for In-N-Out in 2006. That’s also when she got arrested for DUI.
After winning two Grammys in 2009, Adele skipped an after party and instead went to the Venice Boulevard In-N-Out, joking about getting “two milkshakes to match me two Grammys.”
Priyanka Chopra, who is married to Nick Jonas shared a 2017 post-Oscars Instagram selfie with an In-N-Out burger, calling it her “treat.”
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson surprised diners at the Fontana, CA, In-N-Out in December 2018, buying meals for customers and taking selfies. Wilson also commented in a social media post that In-N-Out is the “best post awards show stop.”
The list of celebrities that frequent In-N-Out goes on and on.
But no matter how famous the restaurant became; it remained family owned. After Harry’s death, Esther managed the company’s operations and maintained its quality standards. She was also involved in financial oversight and decision-making, working closely with her two sons - Rich and Guy.
When Rich died in a plane crash in 1993, Guy took over as president. He continued expansion, growing the chain to over 120 locations by 1999, including more stores in California and Nevada.
Unfortunately Guy struggled with prescription drug addiction, which ultimately led to his death from an overdose in 1999.
Lynsi Snyder (Guy’s daughter, Harry and Esther’s granddaughter) took over operations, which was an easy transition for her since she worked at restaurant as a teenager.
When Esther passed away in 2007, Lynsi became president at age 27, the youngest in the chain’s history. By 2025, Lynsi had grown In-N-Out to over 416 locations across eight states.
She inherited majority ownership through a trust, gaining full control at age 35 in 2017.
And she’s done a great job growing the restaurant, its revenues and employees.
As of May 2025, In-N-Out Burger has approximately 12K employees across 6 continents, including North America, Asia and Europe. The company’s annual revenues are estimated at $5 billion.
In-N-Out Burger’s journey sparkles with the boundless optimism of Harry and Esther Snyder, dreaming of serving the freshest, most delightful burgers around. Their heartfelt commitment turned their small stand into a beacon of joy, inspiring a devoted fanbase.
From that first drive-thru to a cherished American icon, In-N-Out’s story radiates the uplifting truth that with heart, grit, and a commitment to doing things right, a family’s dream can inspire millions, spreading warmth and happiness with every bite.
Amazing Quotes by Amazing People
“It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” - Scott Belsky, founder of Behance
I loved the podcast...led me to reading the story too. Great job complimenting them both.
P.S. I loved It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World too. That was a brilliant idea!
Earl Edmonds
Hi Sandra,
I heard you speak salty burgers, salty fries and sweet shakes providing a food service. Furthermore, it quickly satisfies your hunger. Moreover, you eat on the go like at Mc Donald's as a paying customer having other activities as to Chief Copywriting from In & Out Resturaunt Sanit Monica, CA to Glendale, CA.
Harry Snyder The Former Navy Soldier cooked the food and Esther The Bookkeeper prepared the books. He used fresh salty meat, lettuce, sweet tomatoes and salty onions delivered fresh daily that made it Crispy and flavor like Burger King's Chicken Sandwich, salty fries we're made from hand peeled potatoes hand - cut daily fried in 100% Sunflower Oil.
Nevertheless, you eat fresh quality ingredients.
Esther The Accountant reported in an interview.
"Harry believed that the customer deserved the best product they could produce."
So the price didn't matter to him whether it was affordable or not which made it more believable and unique than Mc Donald's.
You place your order by talking through a 2 - way radio in his small garage still inside of your car. Regardless, you drive to the glass windows and pick up your food.