The Common Fast Food Chain Perk You Simply Won't Find At In-N-Out

Fast food restaurants have become more innovative through the years, offering delivery options, ordering kiosks in place of cashiers, and the ability to order through your phone. While mobile ordering through the app is common practice at places like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A, one of the most surprising facts about In-N-Out is that there's no mobile ordering in sight.

The West Coast-based chain that serves up iconic menu items like animal-style burgers and fries isn't much different from other fast food spots in how it runs, but not being able to place a mobile order is certainly noteworthy when you're craving In-N-Out on the move. And don't expect this feature to arrive any time soon — while the idea has been discussed, the company's CEO says that the burger chain will never offer mobile ordering. "Part of what makes In-N-Out and the experience so special is the interaction and the customer service that we're able to give," CEO Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson said while speaking at Pepperdine University (via YouTube). The "warmth" that people receive from In-N-Out's customer service would be incompatible with the mobile ordering model. 

On a similar note, Snyder-Ellingson mentioned that delivery is another thing the chain doesn't plan to offer. If people could order In-N-Out through food apps and have it delivered, the freshness and quality would suffer, which the brand doesn't want for its product.

Those who value customer service and freshness certainly shouldn't have an issue with going into the store and placing an order. While the convenience of delivery is nice, customers have said that other restaurants seem to prioritize online orders over in-store ones, and it gets frustrating. 

In a Reddit thread about Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson's comments, users called out other restaurants like Panda Express and Wingstop for not valuing human customers, seemingly praising In-N-Out for doing the opposite. "I will take In-N-Out any day over these drive thru/app delivery super optimized restaurants that don't even want you to come in person," someone commented. Other commenters said the "freshness" factor is the real reason for not offering mobile orders or delivery, but people feel that In-N-Out's fresh burgers are better than most. "Best fast food burger quality out there," one user wrote.

Whatever the reason, people generally seem fine with it. A handful did call out the busy drive-thru lines at In-N-Out since delivery isn't an option. But with no shortage of fast food apps to choose from, those in a rush might just have to grab a burger somewhere else.