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After Guy died in 1999 of a heart attack, the company was in legal limbo. Esther struggled with other relatives for control of the company. After Esther's death in 2006, Lynsi Martinez, Guy's 24-year-old daughter with no business experience took over the company -- this is another example of how the company breaks all of the rules. Despite Martinez's lack of business expertise, it continues to show a strong performance.

It is every founder's dream to create a company that offers such a high-quality product that no amount of mismanagement, selfishness, and lack of vision can overcome the allure of the product. In-N-Out has never directly competed with McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's. It remains small, disdains high volume sales, and still offers as fresh a product as it did in 1948. Patrons, who might be angered at a Bible verse if they saw it on the wrapper of another chain burger continue to come back to In-N-Out. The level of food quality and service makes even California's many liberal skeptics believe the chain's owners are sincere in their religious convictions, and they appreciate the Snyder family's commitment to customer satisfaction.

On the West Coast, visiting In-N-Out has become a right of passage. The ability to order the burger in unique ways suits the Californian sense of individualism. Stunts abound, such as in the case of a group of patrons who took advantage of the chain's promise to allow patrons to order as many patties or cheese slices on a burger as they like -- and ordered 100x100 at a Las Vegas store. But because it is perceived as a quality product, In-N-Out is not a 'guilty' pleasure like McDonald's -- it is a proud example of Californian's love of good food. Even Californian fast food is gourmet food. The love of the chain has only deepened as the widespread interest in where America's food comes from has grown more acute. In-N-Out is proof that it is possible to have burgers 'your way' -- not just Animal Style, but fresh, wholesome, and free of preservatives and fillers.