Habit Burger trolls In-N-Out with billboard near LAX
Habit Burger trolls In-N-Out with billboard
The Habit trolled its rival, In-N-Out Burger, by placing a billboard near LAX that noted In-N-Out's drop to #4.
LOS ANGELES - The Habit Burger & Grill is shading its rival In-N-Out Burger after being voted the best burger in America for the second year in a row.
What we know:
The Habit is continuing its tradition of taking out a billboard to congratulate In-N-Out on their ranking in USA TODAY'S annual 10Best Burger rankings.
The billboard, which is located across the In-N-Out location on Sepulveda Boulevard near Los Angeles International Airport, reflects In-N-Out's ranking of #4, down from #2 a year ago.
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The Habit was also voted #1 Best Fa st Casual Restaurant and #1 Best Side (Tempura Green Beans) by the same publication.
Big picture view:
Based in Irvine, the Habit ranked first in the country because of its signature Double Char burger, made with two 100% fresh ground beef patties chargrilled over an open flame, caramelized onions, and other toppings sandwiched between two toasted buns. The Habit's first restaurant opened in 1969 in Santa Barbara.
It's also the second year in a row that In-N-Out has slipped in the annual rankings. In-N-Out came in at #4, down from its second spot last year. It was placed #6 in 2023.
Local perspective:
The rankings were released not too long after In-N-Out President and CEO Lynsi Snyder announced she is moving her family out of California as the burger chain expands in Tennessee.
Snyder said part of the decision came down to her family.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In-N-Out President moving family out of California
"There's a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here," Snyder said. "Doing business is not easy here now."
Snyder said that the majority of In-N-Out restaurants would still be in California.
"Moving into Tennessee provides our In-N-Out Associates wonderful opportunities to buy a home and raise a family and be a part of our expansion in a different part of the U.S.," she added. "Where I raise my family has nothing to do with my love and appreciation for our customers in California."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In-N-Out Burger CEO Lynsi Snyder sets record straight on move to Tennessee
What they're saying:
"The same sign from last year has been recycled, but this time, the #2 is scribbled over in red and replaced with an even more humbling #4," the billboard reads. Beneath it, the Habit flexes its win as "#1 by USA TODAY's 10Best. Again."
"We congratulated In-N-Out on being #2 last year with a billboard," said Jack Hinchliffe, Chief Marketing Officer at Habit Burger & Grill. "This year, we were going to send a gift but couldn’t afford the postage to Tennessee, so we saved a few bucks and reused the same billboard. We just had to swap out the 2 for a 4.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this year, In-N-Out also announced that it would be moving its corporate headquarters from Irvine back to Baldwin Park, where the restaurant was founded in 1948. While the original plan was to close the Irvine office by 2029, Snyder said in her recent interview that In-N-Out would be closing the Irvine office by 2030, instead.
Last year, the burger chain confirmed to FOX 11's sister station KTVU it had raised menu prices across California in response to the state's new minimum wage law that went into effect.
"On April 1st, we raised our prices incrementally to accompany a pay raise for all of the Associates working in our California restaurants. The price increase was also necessary to maintain our quality standards," the company said in a statement.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In-N-Out burger heiress fought 'toe-to-toe' to keep costs down amid minimum wage hike
Snyder said she fought hard to keep prices down.
"I was sitting in VP meetings going toe-to-toe saying, ‘We can’t raise the prices that much, we can’t,'" Snyder said," adding that she felt "an obligation to look out for our customers."
The backstory:
In-N-Out was founded by Harry Snyder in Baldwin Park in 1948 as California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand.
The chain then expanded to locations across the Golden State and in 1992, In-N-Out opened its first restaurant outside California when it opened in Nevada.
Snyder took over the chain 15 years ago.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lynsi Snyder: The woman behind In-N-Out
In-N-Out currently operates more than 400 locations across eight states - California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho.
The Source: This article is a compilation of information drawn from multiple sources, including the USA Today 10Best rankings, an official billboard from The Habit Burger & Grill, and direct quotes from its chief marketing officer, Jack Hinchliffe. The story also includes quotes from In-N-Out President and CEO Lynsi Snyder from previous interviews and official statements from the company, as well as publicly available information about the restaurant chain.