Answer:
in and out, objectively
Explanation:
There are three catagories overall which make a solid fast food chain:
- Food quality
- Employee satisfaction
- Menu
So lets look through all three catagories:
Food Quality
In and out has been slow to expand towards the central United States, primarily due to difficulties in the supply lines. In and Out has a policy of not freezing, pre packaging, or microwaving their food, whether that be their potatos, or their meat. This has had a positive effect on their food quality, as customers consistantly express satisfaction with the quality of the ingredients. This is more than likely the primary advantage In and Out has over many other fast food restaurants, which cut corners by freezing, pre packaging, microwaving, etc.
Employee Satisfaction
It's difficult for a Fast Food chain to serve quality food if the people serving it aren't happy. In and Out recognizes this as well, and consequentially ensures that their employees are satisfied. At least in my home state of California, where the majority of locations are, In and Out has a starting salary of just over $15, with managers and owners of well performing locations able to make over 100k every year. This has lead to In and Out maintaining one of the highest rates of employee retention in the entire fast food industry. Strong employee retention results in a more experienced workforce, which furthur improves both the quality of the food and the efficency with which the food is made.
Menu
Upon initial inspection, In and Out's comparitively small menu of 9 items (only 4 food items) may seem like a drawback, not a benefit. Even factoring in the "secret" menu, it doesn't quite compare to the sheer size of the menus of giants like McDonalds or Taco Bell. However, it's important to remember that the size of the menu doesn't matter after the order is placed; no matter how many items are on the menu, you'll only get the ones you ordered. More often than not, the vast majority of people have the exact same order almost every time they enter a fast food establishment. If this is the case, then why bother complicating the menu with items nobody even orders? For example. the Big Mac is the second most popular order at McDonalds, with 70 million orders in 2018, only falling behind french fries. However, comparing the frequency of Big Mac orders to other burger orders, we begin to see order numbers drop at a logarithmic rate. This means that the 6-7 most ordered items make up to 70% of the profit. In and Out takes this idea to its logical extreme, by cutting its menu as short as it can, and perfecting the food it makes.
