Get a Double-Double without leaving town

DANETTE GOULET

I crashed a private party Monday night. But I didn’t stay long and I

didn’t eat any of the free food.

And that’s saying a lot, because the party I crashed was

In-N-Out’s pre-opening bash for new employees and their families, to

which select community members such as Mayor Cathy Green, council

members, police and firefighters were invited.

While I was not a select community member, I had gotten an excited

phone call before leaving the office telling me that the

long-awaited, beloved burger joint was open -- sort of. Rumor was

that firefighters with a special password were getting fed but that

it wasn’t open to the general public yet.

With thoughts of Double-Doubles, and firefighters, I headed over

to check it out for our curious readers, good journalist that I am.

(You’re welcome.)

What I found was a private party sign and a huge mass of people

strolling around with those signature read and white cups with palm

trees on them. After chatting with a couple employees and store

manager Jason Pella, I discovered that the long-awaited In-N-Out

would open at 10:30 a.m. the next day. And that this was an event to

get to know the community around them and a treat for the families of

the 56 new employees.

It seems hundreds applied to work for the company that has a

reputation for paying well and treating employees well. And I believe

they do -- In-N-Out’s generally have the nicest drive-through

employees of any fast food place I’ve ever been to. But that’s how

they get the job, Pella said.

“I hire the smile,” he said. “You can teach them to do the job.

You can’t teach a great smile.”

And on Monday night, teenagers were smiling and having their

picture taken in front of the big illuminated red and yellow sign.

Since I took off without eating, I thought I’d head back on

opening day. At 12:45 p.m., two hours and 15 minutes after its doors

opened for the first time, there was a line out the door and mobs of

people everywhere.

A manager who opens new stores and trains employees, Sal Munoz,

greeted me. He informed me they never advertise when they will open,

they just open the doors for business. Apparently, that’s enough.

The line went quickly enough, and Brian at the counter seemed to

be having a great time as he joked around and took my order.

The radio commercials about the store that depict college students

craving the fare from the East Coast are merely an exaggeration of

Southern Californians’ love of the restaurant.

At the annual Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce planning

conference -- where updates on city projects are heard -- an

inevitable question each year has been when will the In-N-Out open.

It has owned the lot at Beach Boulevard and Talbert Avenue for years,

but gave other lots priority.

People in line on Tuesday commented to each other that they were

so glad not to have to travel to Westminster, Long Beach or Costa

Mesa anymore for their Double-Double animal style.

Huntington Beach now has its very own In-N-Out.