Posted on 02/05/2013 6:59:40 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
(Newser) – As far as company owners go, Lynsi Torres has to be among the most intriguing. A Bloomberg article attempts to put a finger on the mysterious In-N-Out Burger president who, at age 30, is one of the youngest female billionaires on the planet. As Seth Lubove reports, she ended up at the helm of the company, estimated by Bloomberg to be valued at $1.1 billion, by way of birth, and more than a few tragic deaths: Her father took control after his 41-year-old brother died in a 1993 plane crash; he died after ODing on prescription drugs six years later. Torres' grandmother then grabbed the reins until her death in 2006, which left the company with a single heir: Torres, who gained 50% ownership after turning 30 in 2012; she'll claim the other half upon her 35th birthday.
And things get more intriguing from there: She's been married three times and has twins, reports Lubove, but no college degree. She largely chooses not to give interviews, but her name quietly and occasionally pops up in the press: In September, she was reported to have purchased a $17.4 million 16-bathroom mansion in Bradbury, California; she's also a drag racer who competes in two National Hot Rod Association categories. Business Insider has an image of the colorful heiress, and Bloomberg has more, including a rundown of a 2006 lawsuit a former VP filed against Torres, which claimed she was trying to wrest control of In-N-Out from her grandmother. Or click for another intriguing burger-chain story.
I can’t STAND Whataburger. Or SteakNShake burgers.
I still can get In N Out here in Irving. But I was spoiled in Los Angeles.
Best burgers in the world:
1) In N Out
2) Tommy’s (the original)
3) Carl’s Jr.
A lot of people like 5 Guys but frankly I think they are 1 step above Jack in the Box.
>> I think the company is in fine hands;
Besides the great burgers, the thing that impresses me about In ‘n Out is their fast and genuinely friendly service. As with most other businesses, consistent excellence in fast-food product and service is a function of excellent MANAGEMENT.
Don’t know how they do it, exactly, but they’re very good at it.
Whataburger aficionado of 40 years here. Nothing beats them as far a chain burger joints. A few mom and pop local houses can but they are pricier. #1, no cheese, large coke, mmmm is it lunch time yet?
I bet I have eaten at 80% of their stores in Texas in my travels. I have made the trip to Whataburger mecca and eaten at Whataburger by the Bay several times.
Whataburger trivia, on their ketchup container there is a number (1 through 5) on the lip of the pull tab do you know what it means?
>> I can’t STAND ... SteakNShake burgers.
Yeah, I think Steak N Shake is highly overrated.
There’s another one in town — Mighty Fine — that IMHO is also way overrated. The place is like a zoo, you wait forever at peak times, the service is surly and disorganized, the prices are out the wazoo, and their food is just not *that* good.
Five Guys rocks though. And In ‘N Out is hands down the best overall package, including convenience and value.
>>Don’t know how they do it, exactly, but they’re very good at it.<<
A very real lesson in corporate culture. You get what you measure and in this case they measure freshness (fries made from whole potatoes sliced before your very eyes, fresh ground beef, whole onions, etc.) and CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I think the fact it has always been family-owned is a big part of it. They make it clear that you are visiting a local family business, even if there are many of them.
I don’t think there is a single aspect of In N Out that isn’t worth emulating.
>> Whataburger trivia, on their ketchup container there is a number (1 through 5) on the lip of the pull tab do you know what it means?
I’m guessing it’s how many times Mel Tillis stuttered that week saying “k-k-k-ketchup”. :-)
>> I don’t think there is a single aspect of In N Out that isn’t worth emulating.
Yep, they’d be an excellent case study of how to do business.
No.
Happiest day of my burger life was finding that Mansfield Tx had a Wataburger not far from where I lived.
>>Yep, they’d be an excellent case study of how to do business.<<
Too bad they are so secretive (maybe part of their success?). It would be interesting to see an episode of Undercover Boss (a guilty pleasure) with her (the subject of the article).
You can’t stand Whataburger, but you like Carl’s Jr.?
To each his own.
By the luck of birth and circumstance, she is a billionaire. Let's see how the company fares under her leadership.
Fellow Whataburger fan here.
Try putting their picante sauce on one of their burgers.
Awesome for breakfast.
I remember the 1993 plane crash. They were in a Gulfstream following a Boeing 757 into John Wayne airport.
The wing tip vortecies of the 757 flipped the Gx over like a toy into a car dealership on approach. I think people on the ground were killed also.
I did not know about the OD of the other brother. Sad and interesting.
I don’t watch much teevee but I’d watch THAT one. :-)
Carl’s is flame broiled.
Whataburger turns out greasy, tasteless and paper-thin patties.
Well, fwiiw, I haven’t been able to find a SINGLE restaurant of any kind (fast or sit-down) that can make a decent Patty Melt (don’t get me started on the gawdawful WAB version).
I’ll have to wait to get back to L.A. to find one of those corner joints (or, better yet, Beeps in Van Nuys).
*sigh* I love Dallas but I miss a lot of the “stuff” in L.A. (like food, weather, amusement parks, the beach).
But dynamite could not get me out of Irving. I have the river walk in my back yard so that makes up for a lot. That and Texas and Texans make it all worthwhile.
You KNOW she didn’t build that!
The lower the number the less sugar in the recipe. 5 is the sweetest. If you open and #1 and a #5 the #5 will look a brighter red due to sugar and the #1 will be a duller, browner color.
Hear, hear!
Your answer is slightly more believable than mine.
Learn something new every day!
In-N-Out has a simple product that is tasty... the stores are clean and the staff pleasant.
It’s an interesting business model.
Yup. And it's been very rare that I've gone into an In-N-Out that wasn't busy, even if it was in the middle of nowhere (of course the "middle of nowhere" stores are almost always near a major freeway). It certainly doesn't hurt that every store I've been in offers good service and a consistently good product either.
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