In-N-Out
Having lived most of my life in California has afforded me an appreciation of the consistent availability and quality of In-N-Out’s offerings. I’ve long admired their formulaic approach to product delivery. You can choose from a few options on the menu but the limitation of choice is completely illusionary. They have effectively created a design system for burger building. You want a number one? That’s a “double-double” which is just a cheeseburger with two patties and two slices of cheese. You can modify it by asking for a “double-single”, two patties one cheese. There are modifications and alternatives to every element of the meal including the fries. They detail this on their site calling it a “not so secret” menu and just about everything there can be distilled into the few component building blocks that can be rearranged to your heart’s content, (I personally recommend trying “with light chilies” if you enjoy some spice). All of this is enabled by exceptional customer service. Maybe one percent of my interactions with employees over the course of over a decade have fallen below expectations.
A couple of years ago, the LA Times wrote a piece about In-N-Out’s history and their long lasting success sticking with a consistent formula. I just returned from a visit there and was struck by how effective their strategy has been. Each visit is so similar to the last. The experience has become predictable and rhythmic but in a positive way, a way in which most things that should be aren’t.