This Is Actually Why In-N-Out Asks If You're Eating In Your Car Or Not

There are certain questions everyone expects when they visit fast-food burger joints. Do you want cheese on your burger? Fries with that? Is that for here or to go? You've grown accustomed to them and like most adults, your brain is juggling multiple ideas and responsibilities while ordering. It's fair to say you're not actively listening but rather expecting the questions. And that's when In-N-Out hits you with, "Will you be eating in your car?" Not only does the question force you to think, but you've probably been in line for about 45 minutes at this point, especially on a Friday night. Answer this question without understanding and you might ruin your whole experience.

When you tell the In-N-Out associate you're eating in your car, this signals that you plan to take up an empty spot in the parking lot to enjoy your Double-Double. As a courtesy to its customers looking for this moment of instant gratification, In-N-Out hands over your order carefully organized inside small cardboard trays. The trays are perfect for your lap, even in the driver's seat, and give you a place to put your burger down to take a swig of your ice-cold Coke or 7 Up. Saying yes to this question when you meant to take it home means your food can get cold quickly and if you have to brake hard just one time, your animal-style fries and Flying Dutchman will live up to its name and end up on your floor mats.

Founded in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Baldwin Park, California, in 1948, In-N-Out was at the epicenter of car culture both geographically and temporally. Its first location didn't have a dining room, so your two options were to take your food home or pull into one of the spots to eat it fresh. Asking if you were going to eat in your car made perfect sense. Future locations added dining rooms, and the drive-in fast-food spot eventually fell out of fashion. The original In-N-Out was ironically forced to close to make way for a freeway. There is, however, a replica of the location set up just a block away from the original. You can swing by for pictures and see how Los Angeles car culture enjoyed their burgers in 1948.

But despite changing times, In-N-Out became a legend nationwide. Even the late Anthony Bourdain professed his love for the fast-food burger chain. And as the chain reached iconic status, this unique question became one of the company's signatures. The origin story of In-N-Out is without a doubt part of its mystique. People travel for it from around the world and people in states without an In-N-Out clamor for it. With its old-school crossed palm trees, long drive-thru lines, and even inventing the 2-way drive-thru speaker, In-N-Out is permanently attached to California car culture, and for as long as In-N-Out drive-thrus exist, employees will continue to ask, "Will you be eating in your car?"