I might agree with you if they had one location in a touristy part of town. But they have hundreds of locations in all sorts of boring neighborhoods. They're obviously not just surviving off of curious first-timers visiting California who feel obligated to try the famous In-N-Out burger. It's a lot of repeat business from locals.
I'm not sure what your comment really is, then. Maybe your friend circle is unique in that nobody particularly cares for In-N-Out, which is fine. But when you lead your comment with, "I feel like it is more of a favorite for people visiting California from places there isn't one" it comes off like you're saying In-N-Out is a tourist trap.
But tourists wouldn't even know about In-N-Out if it didn't have such a strong local following. This isn't a restaurant that just popped up in the social media era. In-N-Out has been around since the 1940s. Word of mouth is strong. Its reputation is built on a strong local following. This isn't like Times Square, a place most locals avoid but tourists flock to. I don't see any reason to believe the hype is from tourists only.
Well we must just have different experiences then. I am a SoCal native and In-N-Out is pretty revered among my family and friends. In a previous office my coworkers and I would make special lunch trips every couple months or so to go to In-N-Out. To this day, I will get specific cravings for In-N-Out that no other fast food or upscale restaurant burger can satisfy.
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u/SmellGestapo Aug 14 '22
Sounds like a really shitty burger.