1 00:00:01,833 --> 00:00:03,708 - [Narrator] Americans make six billion visits a year 2 00:00:05,042 --> 00:00:08,208 to more than 200,000 of them across the nation. 3 00:00:08,208 --> 00:00:10,000 - The drive-through has changed 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,083 the way America eats on the go. 5 00:00:13,083 --> 00:00:14,000 - [Employee] Hi, there. 6 00:00:14,167 --> 00:00:15,292 What could I get for you today? 7 00:00:15,292 --> 00:00:16,625 - [Narrator] But 80 years ago, 8 00:00:16,625 --> 00:00:19,333 the fast food drive-through doesn't exist. 9 00:00:19,333 --> 00:00:21,750 - Everybody thinks that McDonald's invented 10 00:00:21,750 --> 00:00:23,042 the drive-through when in fact 11 00:00:23,042 --> 00:00:25,000 they were one of the latest ones to adopt it. 12 00:00:25,750 --> 00:00:29,208 - [Narrator] It starts with a cash strapped delivery man. 13 00:00:29,208 --> 00:00:30,542 - There's a line forming. 14 00:00:30,542 --> 00:00:32,208 - [Narrator] With a radical idea. 15 00:00:32,208 --> 00:00:33,958 - Going as fast as we can. 16 00:00:33,958 --> 00:00:37,000 - [Narrator] Piecing together technology ahead of its time. 17 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:38,250 - Testing. 18 00:00:38,250 --> 00:00:39,083 Hello. 19 00:00:39,083 --> 00:00:39,958 - People are like "Intercom." 20 00:00:39,958 --> 00:00:40,792 Like what? 21 00:00:40,792 --> 00:00:42,417 I don't understand. 22 00:00:42,417 --> 00:00:45,000 - In-N-Out is sort of the perfect name for this business. 23 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,917 - [Narrator] And a struggling restaurateur 24 00:00:46,917 --> 00:00:49,083 plows forward with the same idea. 25 00:00:49,083 --> 00:00:51,375 - He actually named the clown, Jack. 26 00:00:51,375 --> 00:00:52,875 - [Narrator] And completely rewrites 27 00:00:52,875 --> 00:00:54,583 the future of fast food. 28 00:00:54,583 --> 00:00:58,000 - We need something you can hold with a hand on the wheel. 29 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,083 - [Narrator] But the industry leader stays behind the curve. 30 00:01:01,083 --> 00:01:03,708 - They don't implement a single drive-through. 31 00:01:03,708 --> 00:01:06,417 - [Narrator] Until one franchisee goes rogue. 32 00:01:06,417 --> 00:01:08,708 - He decides he's putting in a drive-through, 33 00:01:08,708 --> 00:01:10,458 his own way. 34 00:01:10,458 --> 00:01:11,750 - [Narrator] And it leads to the drive-through 35 00:01:11,750 --> 00:01:16,083 now powering 75% of all fast food orders 36 00:01:16,083 --> 00:01:18,792 and revolutionizing our entire modern 37 00:01:18,792 --> 00:01:20,375 on-the-go existence. 38 00:01:20,375 --> 00:01:22,250 - We're talking about completely 39 00:01:22,250 --> 00:01:25,375 transforming our day-to-day lives. 40 00:01:25,375 --> 00:01:27,292 - It changed the game for everyone. 41 00:01:29,875 --> 00:01:33,250 [spirited upbeat music] 42 00:01:47,958 --> 00:01:49,542 [upbeat music] 43 00:01:49,542 --> 00:01:51,500 - [Narrator] It's the mid 1940s. 44 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:55,250 60% of families now own an automobile. 45 00:01:55,250 --> 00:01:57,083 - [Natalia] This is a time when your car 46 00:01:57,083 --> 00:01:59,375 becomes almost an extension of your home. 47 00:01:59,375 --> 00:02:00,958 In your car, you can get food, 48 00:02:00,958 --> 00:02:02,542 you can get entertainment. 49 00:02:02,542 --> 00:02:06,208 This is a really new thing in the mid-century United States. 50 00:02:06,208 --> 00:02:07,583 - They thought of everything, haven't they? 51 00:02:07,583 --> 00:02:09,208 - Sure have. 52 00:02:09,208 --> 00:02:10,375 - [Narrator] And Southern California 53 00:02:10,375 --> 00:02:12,833 becomes the epicenter of a new trend. 54 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,583 Car culture. 55 00:02:15,583 --> 00:02:18,208 - Los Angeles had more cars per capita 56 00:02:18,208 --> 00:02:20,375 than any other city in the country. 57 00:02:20,375 --> 00:02:22,250 - [David] There was no rapid transit system, 58 00:02:22,250 --> 00:02:25,750 so hence everybody had to have a car. 59 00:02:25,750 --> 00:02:27,708 - [Narrator] In car-centric California, 60 00:02:27,708 --> 00:02:31,042 one type of restaurant explodes in popularity. 61 00:02:31,042 --> 00:02:32,792 It's called the drive-in. 62 00:02:33,792 --> 00:02:35,500 - [Brooke] The idea started in the '30s 63 00:02:35,500 --> 00:02:37,500 with pioneers like the pig stand 64 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:39,792 and Carpenter's drive-in and Simon's. 65 00:02:39,792 --> 00:02:42,917 - [Gary] The original drive-in restaurant meant parking 66 00:02:42,917 --> 00:02:46,417 and then a car hop with roller skate over to your car 67 00:02:46,417 --> 00:02:48,208 and serve you your meal. 68 00:02:48,208 --> 00:02:53,208 - The idea of having a person deliver you food 69 00:02:53,208 --> 00:02:57,458 to the window of your car was super attractive 70 00:02:57,458 --> 00:02:59,542 because people were so in love with their cars, 71 00:02:59,542 --> 00:03:01,667 they didn't wanna get out of them. 72 00:03:01,667 --> 00:03:03,708 - [Narrator] But while the idea is novel, 73 00:03:03,708 --> 00:03:05,833 it's definitely not "fast food." 74 00:03:07,042 --> 00:03:09,208 - [Bill] It was often a complex meal 75 00:03:09,208 --> 00:03:11,625 that involves stuff like meatloaf, mashed potatoes 76 00:03:11,625 --> 00:03:13,708 and whatever with a large menu of stuff 77 00:03:13,708 --> 00:03:16,833 that was not fast to make or fast to eat. 78 00:03:16,833 --> 00:03:18,083 - In terms of timing, 79 00:03:18,083 --> 00:03:20,167 it was more like going to a restaurant 80 00:03:20,167 --> 00:03:22,458 where you happen to be seated in your car. 81 00:03:22,458 --> 00:03:24,708 - [Narrator] But for now, it's the only option for customers 82 00:03:24,708 --> 00:03:28,208 who like the convenience of eating in their car. 83 00:03:28,208 --> 00:03:31,000 [dramatic upbeat music] 84 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,958 20 miles east of Los Angeles, 85 00:03:32,958 --> 00:03:34,833 a struggling entrepreneur 86 00:03:34,833 --> 00:03:36,875 is chasing a dream 87 00:03:36,875 --> 00:03:39,375 to open a drive-in of his own. 88 00:03:39,375 --> 00:03:41,750 - [Adam] So Harry Snyder grew up working 89 00:03:41,750 --> 00:03:45,250 in his parents' sandwich shop and he did deliveries, 90 00:03:45,250 --> 00:03:47,167 he made sandwiches, he ordered meat. 91 00:03:47,167 --> 00:03:50,875 - [Narrator] He locates a small triangle of land for sale. 92 00:03:50,875 --> 00:03:52,542 It's the cheapest he can find. 93 00:03:52,542 --> 00:03:54,583 - Harry Snyder never had any money, 94 00:03:54,583 --> 00:03:56,542 was always kind of keeping one step 95 00:03:56,542 --> 00:03:58,167 ahead of the landlord for rent, 96 00:03:58,167 --> 00:04:00,208 and he was always doing odd ends 97 00:04:00,208 --> 00:04:02,458 to help supplement the family's income. 98 00:04:02,458 --> 00:04:05,375 - [Narrator] But not a single bank will give him a loan. 99 00:04:05,375 --> 00:04:07,875 - Harry Snyder is desperate for a lifeline, 100 00:04:07,875 --> 00:04:10,917 so he reaches out to a trusted business acquaintance. 101 00:04:10,917 --> 00:04:12,417 - Harry. 102 00:04:12,417 --> 00:04:15,417 - Charles Noden has an extremely successful bakery 103 00:04:15,417 --> 00:04:19,917 that has supplied bread to Harry Snyder's family for years. 104 00:04:19,917 --> 00:04:23,375 So when he hears that Harry 105 00:04:23,375 --> 00:04:27,792 has an idea for a business in the food space, 106 00:04:27,792 --> 00:04:30,375 being that he knows Harry's work ethic, 107 00:04:30,375 --> 00:04:31,583 it intrigues him. 108 00:04:32,417 --> 00:04:33,708 - I thought you said 109 00:04:33,708 --> 00:04:35,792 we were checking out a new burger joint. 110 00:04:35,792 --> 00:04:36,542 - This is it. 111 00:04:37,875 --> 00:04:39,417 - But there's nothing here. 112 00:04:39,417 --> 00:04:40,792 - That's where you come in. 113 00:04:41,875 --> 00:04:43,792 - Harry thinks that this location is ideal 114 00:04:43,792 --> 00:04:45,833 because it sits right off in the future, 115 00:04:45,833 --> 00:04:47,458 San Bernardino Freeway 116 00:04:47,458 --> 00:04:49,958 and it sort of links Downtown LA 117 00:04:49,958 --> 00:04:52,458 with the desert and the ocean. 118 00:04:52,458 --> 00:04:54,708 - [Narrator] His plan is to keep the menu simple 119 00:04:54,708 --> 00:04:57,708 and focus on making high-quality hamburgers. 120 00:04:59,083 --> 00:05:00,917 - You can maybe fit a building, 121 00:05:00,917 --> 00:05:02,375 but where will people park? 122 00:05:03,917 --> 00:05:06,042 - Few spots is all we need. 123 00:05:06,042 --> 00:05:07,833 As long as we keep the menu short 124 00:05:07,833 --> 00:05:09,375 and we move fast enough, 125 00:05:09,375 --> 00:05:11,542 the freeway will bring us steady traffic. 126 00:05:12,708 --> 00:05:14,917 - [Narrator] But what Snyder doesn't know 127 00:05:14,917 --> 00:05:18,708 is that he will birth a $7 billion a year business. 128 00:05:18,708 --> 00:05:22,208 That becomes an iconic family run company. 129 00:05:22,208 --> 00:05:24,583 And the system he builds for speed 130 00:05:24,583 --> 00:05:26,875 will become the industry blueprint. 131 00:05:26,875 --> 00:05:30,042 Introducing the nation's first drive-through, 132 00:05:30,042 --> 00:05:33,708 a breakthrough nearly every fast food chain will follow, 133 00:05:33,708 --> 00:05:37,667 and that now drives three quarters of all fast food sales. 134 00:05:43,125 --> 00:05:44,917 - I just don't see it. 135 00:05:44,917 --> 00:05:46,625 - [Adam] No parking means no cars. 136 00:05:46,625 --> 00:05:49,667 No cars means no customers. 137 00:05:49,667 --> 00:05:51,333 - Harry realizes there are still 138 00:05:51,333 --> 00:05:52,708 some kinks in his business plan 139 00:05:52,708 --> 00:05:55,083 if he's going to make this plan a reality. 140 00:05:55,083 --> 00:05:57,083 - But I can't help you, Harry. 141 00:05:58,042 --> 00:05:59,542 - [Brooke] Without Noden's help, 142 00:05:59,542 --> 00:06:01,708 Snyder has no way of opening a drive-in on his own. 143 00:06:01,708 --> 00:06:03,542 So for now, he's forced to just 144 00:06:03,542 --> 00:06:05,125 keep working his delivery job. 145 00:06:09,875 --> 00:06:10,708 - Fill her up. 146 00:06:12,708 --> 00:06:14,375 Do you guys have a vending machine? 147 00:06:14,375 --> 00:06:15,625 - Yeah. - Great. 148 00:06:17,167 --> 00:06:18,417 - I can get it for you. 149 00:06:19,500 --> 00:06:21,125 - Could I have a cola and chips? 150 00:06:24,458 --> 00:06:28,125 - After taking Noden to go look at this location 151 00:06:28,125 --> 00:06:30,250 and seeing how inadequate it is, 152 00:06:30,250 --> 00:06:32,458 he's in a pretty dark spot. 153 00:06:37,167 --> 00:06:38,500 - No, no, keep the change. 154 00:06:38,500 --> 00:06:40,583 - Thanks. Have a nice day. - You too. 155 00:06:48,875 --> 00:06:50,167 - And then 156 00:06:50,958 --> 00:06:54,917 something hits him somewhere right between the eyes. 157 00:06:54,917 --> 00:06:56,042 An idea, 158 00:06:56,042 --> 00:06:57,542 some inspiration. 159 00:06:57,542 --> 00:06:59,083 - So he starts playing around with this idea. 160 00:06:59,083 --> 00:07:00,417 What if there's a restaurant where you could just drive up 161 00:07:00,417 --> 00:07:02,083 to the window, order your food, 162 00:07:02,083 --> 00:07:03,500 get it, start moving, 163 00:07:03,500 --> 00:07:05,292 and then the next car comes in. 164 00:07:05,292 --> 00:07:08,625 [dramatic upbeat music] 165 00:07:14,708 --> 00:07:18,292 - So you wanna build a gas station that serves burgers? 166 00:07:18,292 --> 00:07:20,792 - No gas, just food and drinks. 167 00:07:22,042 --> 00:07:25,042 - At this point, the drive-through concept 168 00:07:25,042 --> 00:07:28,542 and how it's all set up is just more than novel. 169 00:07:28,542 --> 00:07:30,958 It will be totally foreign to customers. 170 00:07:32,250 --> 00:07:33,375 - It's like a drive-in, 171 00:07:33,375 --> 00:07:34,833 but you don't need space for parking. 172 00:07:34,833 --> 00:07:39,125 Instead, the customer drives in, 173 00:07:39,125 --> 00:07:40,083 gets their food 174 00:07:41,458 --> 00:07:42,458 and drives out. 175 00:07:44,667 --> 00:07:46,083 - Now, the beauty of a model like this 176 00:07:46,083 --> 00:07:47,417 is he doesn't need to invest in things like seats 177 00:07:47,417 --> 00:07:48,875 or the car hops. 178 00:07:48,875 --> 00:07:51,750 Instead, all you really need is a kitchen and a chef. 179 00:07:52,750 --> 00:07:54,083 - But where do they eat it? 180 00:07:55,333 --> 00:07:57,042 - They can take it anywhere they want, 181 00:07:57,042 --> 00:08:00,875 and the beauty is we don't have to clean up after them. 182 00:08:00,875 --> 00:08:01,875 - [Kevin]The idea is like, 183 00:08:01,875 --> 00:08:02,875 we're not gonna go to this place 184 00:08:02,875 --> 00:08:04,875 and sit in our car and eat. 185 00:08:04,875 --> 00:08:07,083 It's just we're gonna go through the drive-through, 186 00:08:07,083 --> 00:08:08,625 pick up the food, 187 00:08:08,625 --> 00:08:09,875 and then either sit in the parking lot 188 00:08:09,875 --> 00:08:11,750 and eat it or bring it home and eat it. 189 00:08:12,542 --> 00:08:16,083 [tense dramatic music] 190 00:08:16,083 --> 00:08:16,792 - So? 191 00:08:16,792 --> 00:08:19,375 [tense dramatic music] 192 00:08:19,375 --> 00:08:22,083 - [Stacy] I think it's so second nature to everybody today, 193 00:08:22,083 --> 00:08:23,333 a drive-through, 194 00:08:23,333 --> 00:08:24,833 but it just seemed like something 195 00:08:24,833 --> 00:08:26,750 from outer space at the time. 196 00:08:28,375 --> 00:08:30,167 - What the heck, let's give it a shot. 197 00:08:31,417 --> 00:08:34,958 - [Kate] Charles Noden ends up fronting $5,000 of his own money 198 00:08:34,958 --> 00:08:38,083 as an early investor in this business. 199 00:08:38,083 --> 00:08:39,917 - [Brooke] But it's completely unproven. 200 00:08:39,917 --> 00:08:41,625 He's securing this loan from Noden, 201 00:08:41,625 --> 00:08:43,292 but he doesn't even know if customers 202 00:08:43,292 --> 00:08:46,042 are gonna wanna pick up their food and eat it in their cars. 203 00:08:46,042 --> 00:08:50,042 So it's a brilliant, yet incredibly risky concept. 204 00:08:52,417 --> 00:08:55,583 - [Narrator] Meanwhile, two hours south in San Diego, 205 00:08:55,583 --> 00:08:58,542 Robert Peterson is the owner of Oscars, 206 00:08:58,542 --> 00:09:01,208 a modest chain of six restaurants. 207 00:09:01,208 --> 00:09:02,792 - [Brooke] Robert Peterson was a savvy 208 00:09:02,792 --> 00:09:04,125 and charismatic businessman 209 00:09:04,125 --> 00:09:06,167 who originally sold restaurant equipment 210 00:09:06,167 --> 00:09:09,083 and then transitioned into the restaurant business. 211 00:09:09,083 --> 00:09:11,083 - [Narrator] In addition to indoor seating, 212 00:09:11,083 --> 00:09:14,375 he also offers drive-in service at his restaurants. 213 00:09:14,375 --> 00:09:17,000 - [Adam C.] Peterson's drive-in has a circus theme to it, 214 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,000 which is what a lot of drive-ins use 215 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,042 to attract people from the road with neon signs 216 00:09:21,042 --> 00:09:23,958 and fun attractions that were family friendly. 217 00:09:24,958 --> 00:09:27,042 - [Narrator] But he's realizing that the drive-in concept 218 00:09:27,042 --> 00:09:29,792 is harder to pull off than he imagined. 219 00:09:30,875 --> 00:09:32,000 - [Adam C.] In spite of its popularity, 220 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,667 drive-ins weren't all that efficient. 221 00:09:33,667 --> 00:09:35,958 - The problem is it takes forever to get served 222 00:09:35,958 --> 00:09:38,542 because the car hops are struggling to keep up. 223 00:09:38,542 --> 00:09:41,083 - It would be sometimes very congested 224 00:09:41,083 --> 00:09:43,208 because people would order some food 225 00:09:43,208 --> 00:09:45,542 and hang out with each other for hours. 226 00:09:45,542 --> 00:09:47,708 - [Jason] But if people are just hanging out in their car, 227 00:09:47,708 --> 00:09:49,875 you know, taking their time, 228 00:09:49,875 --> 00:09:51,208 making out with their girlfriend, 229 00:09:51,208 --> 00:09:52,542 that's not turnover. 230 00:09:52,542 --> 00:09:54,458 You do not make money from having people 231 00:09:54,458 --> 00:09:56,542 just sit in your real estate. 232 00:09:56,542 --> 00:09:59,875 [tense dramatic music] 233 00:10:01,917 --> 00:10:03,792 - Is everything all right? 234 00:10:03,792 --> 00:10:06,208 We waited 30 minutes for this, 235 00:10:06,208 --> 00:10:07,125 and it's cold. 236 00:10:08,417 --> 00:10:10,917 - [Yohuru] Any restaurant that's operating in that landscape 237 00:10:10,917 --> 00:10:12,708 is gonna have the same problem. 238 00:10:12,708 --> 00:10:15,583 How do I not lose those potential consumers? 239 00:10:15,583 --> 00:10:17,375 Because they feel like it's taking too long 240 00:10:17,375 --> 00:10:18,958 for them to get their food. 241 00:10:18,958 --> 00:10:21,208 - [Adam C.] Peterson is coming to the realization 242 00:10:21,208 --> 00:10:22,917 that all the labor costs, 243 00:10:22,917 --> 00:10:24,417 all the real estate costs 244 00:10:24,417 --> 00:10:26,417 and the toll of extensive menus 245 00:10:26,417 --> 00:10:29,125 we're dragging down the key elements 246 00:10:29,125 --> 00:10:32,292 of the success that he hoped to have in terms of profit. 247 00:10:33,708 --> 00:10:36,042 - [Narrator] One day his circus themed chain 248 00:10:36,042 --> 00:10:39,458 will have over 2,000 locations nationwide. 249 00:10:39,458 --> 00:10:43,583 His signature taco will sell over 500 million a year, 250 00:10:43,583 --> 00:10:45,750 more than McDonald's Big Macs, 251 00:10:45,750 --> 00:10:48,458 and he will help turn the fast food drive-through 252 00:10:48,458 --> 00:10:50,125 into a national phenomenon. 253 00:10:51,458 --> 00:10:53,958 - [Brooke] But right now he's just completely at a loss 254 00:10:53,958 --> 00:10:55,542 for how to turn his business around. 255 00:10:55,542 --> 00:10:57,333 This is all he's ever known. 256 00:10:57,333 --> 00:10:59,250 - [Narrator] What Peterson doesn't know 257 00:10:59,250 --> 00:11:01,875 is that a possible solution has already been conceived 258 00:11:01,875 --> 00:11:05,625 just up the road by a man who is about to open 259 00:11:05,625 --> 00:11:07,917 the world's first drive-through. 260 00:11:13,958 --> 00:11:15,667 [tense dramatic music] 261 00:11:15,667 --> 00:11:18,750 - [Narrator] It's October 22nd,1948, 262 00:11:18,750 --> 00:11:21,375 and Harry Snyder is about to make history 263 00:11:21,375 --> 00:11:24,958 when he opens America's first drive-through restaurant. 264 00:11:25,625 --> 00:11:27,083 He calls it. 265 00:11:27,875 --> 00:11:29,208 - Welcome to In-N-Out. 266 00:11:30,208 --> 00:11:32,333 - In-N-Out is really a revolution, 267 00:11:32,333 --> 00:11:34,292 even though I don't think anybody at the time 268 00:11:34,292 --> 00:11:35,833 saw it that way. 269 00:11:35,958 --> 00:11:37,875 - In-N-Out is sort of the perfect name for this business. 270 00:11:37,875 --> 00:11:40,917 It's just very precise and literal of what you're getting. 271 00:11:40,917 --> 00:11:43,500 - [Adam] I think no matter where you are right now, 272 00:11:43,500 --> 00:11:45,208 any given fast food restaurant, 273 00:11:45,208 --> 00:11:48,292 everything from donut shops to burger shops 274 00:11:48,292 --> 00:11:49,583 has a drive-through, 275 00:11:49,583 --> 00:11:52,583 and Harry Snyder really is the father 276 00:11:52,583 --> 00:11:54,333 of this groundbreaking idea. 277 00:11:54,333 --> 00:11:57,250 It has changed the way America eats on the go. 278 00:11:58,375 --> 00:11:59,250 - If you wait just one minute, 279 00:11:59,250 --> 00:12:01,708 your order will be right up. Okay? 280 00:12:01,708 --> 00:12:02,917 One burger, one fry. 281 00:12:04,167 --> 00:12:05,667 - [Narrator] The limited menu just features burgers, 282 00:12:05,667 --> 00:12:08,667 fries, and soft drinks. 283 00:12:08,667 --> 00:12:10,208 - When they first opened their doors, 284 00:12:10,208 --> 00:12:13,708 Harry and his wife Esther are doing everything themselves. 285 00:12:13,708 --> 00:12:15,875 - The kitchen had room for two people. 286 00:12:15,875 --> 00:12:17,250 - [David] It was literally just a window in the side 287 00:12:17,250 --> 00:12:21,708 of the building, that a customer would drive their car up to 288 00:12:21,708 --> 00:12:23,375 and they would order food. 289 00:12:23,375 --> 00:12:26,042 It was just a face-to-face ordering system. 290 00:12:26,042 --> 00:12:29,083 - So outside in Bright Red Neon is a sign with white letters 291 00:12:29,083 --> 00:12:31,750 and stripes reading In-N-Out Burger, 292 00:12:31,750 --> 00:12:34,875 under it or they promise to you no delays. 293 00:12:36,125 --> 00:12:38,208 - [Narrator] But his steadfast commitment to freshness 294 00:12:38,208 --> 00:12:41,667 puts his no delay pledge to the test. 295 00:12:41,667 --> 00:12:43,042 - [Stacy] Harry made the burgers, 296 00:12:43,042 --> 00:12:46,083 he used an ice cream scoop to measure the beef. 297 00:12:46,083 --> 00:12:48,042 Sometimes he would go to the train station 298 00:12:48,042 --> 00:12:51,167 when they would deliver the potatoes and the lettuce 299 00:12:51,167 --> 00:12:52,917 and the onions and inspect it. 300 00:12:54,750 --> 00:12:57,625 [car honks] 301 00:12:57,625 --> 00:12:59,833 - [Narrator] But it's still far from fast food 302 00:12:59,833 --> 00:13:01,667 as we know it. [car honks] 303 00:13:01,667 --> 00:13:03,333 - There's a line forming. 304 00:13:03,333 --> 00:13:05,458 [car honks] 305 00:13:05,458 --> 00:13:07,417 - We're going as fast as we can. 306 00:13:07,417 --> 00:13:10,792 - It just started that no burger patty 307 00:13:10,792 --> 00:13:12,542 went on the grill until you said, 308 00:13:12,542 --> 00:13:13,458 I want a hamburger. 309 00:13:13,458 --> 00:13:14,833 I want a cheeseburger. 310 00:13:14,833 --> 00:13:15,667 - Three more burgers, 311 00:13:15,667 --> 00:13:17,042 two with onions. 312 00:13:17,042 --> 00:13:18,417 - [Chirag] He wanted things to be quick. 313 00:13:18,417 --> 00:13:19,958 One, easy transaction, 314 00:13:19,958 --> 00:13:21,375 drive up, order your food, 315 00:13:21,375 --> 00:13:23,333 grab your food and leave. 316 00:13:23,333 --> 00:13:24,542 This wasn't happening. 317 00:13:24,542 --> 00:13:25,417 - They'll just have to wait. 318 00:13:25,417 --> 00:13:27,667 [car honks] 319 00:13:27,667 --> 00:13:30,958 - So instead of the incredibly fast streamlined service 320 00:13:30,958 --> 00:13:32,708 that Harry envisioned, 321 00:13:32,708 --> 00:13:34,583 the drive-through is slow. 322 00:13:34,583 --> 00:13:36,542 It's pissing his customers off 323 00:13:36,542 --> 00:13:39,500 and not much faster than the service that he rejected, 324 00:13:39,500 --> 00:13:40,708 something had to change. 325 00:13:40,708 --> 00:13:43,083 [car honks] 326 00:13:46,833 --> 00:13:48,250 [dramatic music] 327 00:13:48,250 --> 00:13:51,208 - [Adam] Harry knows that if he is not able 328 00:13:51,208 --> 00:13:53,708 to achieve this no delay service, 329 00:13:53,708 --> 00:13:55,875 he will lose his investment 330 00:13:55,875 --> 00:13:58,625 and he will be unable to pay Noden back. 331 00:13:58,625 --> 00:14:01,917 - He can't stop thinking about how to make it faster. 332 00:14:01,917 --> 00:14:03,042 He's not an engineer, 333 00:14:03,042 --> 00:14:04,750 but he's a natural problem solver 334 00:14:04,750 --> 00:14:06,917 and he has a knack for mechanical systems. 335 00:14:06,917 --> 00:14:08,250 - [Narrator] He envisions a system 336 00:14:08,250 --> 00:14:10,000 that somehow allows customers 337 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,042 to place orders before they pull up to the kitchen. 338 00:14:14,042 --> 00:14:15,458 - [Erin] During World War II, 339 00:14:15,458 --> 00:14:17,667 Harry spent time in Army Air Corps supply depots 340 00:14:17,667 --> 00:14:19,792 where orders and replies were sent over 341 00:14:19,792 --> 00:14:22,125 wired intercom systems. 342 00:14:23,208 --> 00:14:25,250 - [Adam] Now it bears noting that not a lot 343 00:14:25,250 --> 00:14:28,292 of military technology had found its way 344 00:14:28,292 --> 00:14:30,583 into the civilian sector yet, 345 00:14:30,583 --> 00:14:35,500 but he heads to an Army Navy surplus store in Pasadena 346 00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:38,000 and picks through wires and speakers, 347 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,083 transmitters and so on, 348 00:14:40,083 --> 00:14:42,875 and eventually starts piecing them together. 349 00:14:45,708 --> 00:14:46,583 - It's getting late. 350 00:14:46,583 --> 00:14:48,042 We should go to bed. 351 00:14:48,042 --> 00:14:49,125 - I think I got it. 352 00:14:50,375 --> 00:14:51,708 One last time. 353 00:14:51,708 --> 00:14:55,292 [tense dramatic music] 354 00:14:55,292 --> 00:14:57,708 - [David] Wartime often brings a lot 355 00:14:57,708 --> 00:14:59,625 of technological innovation. 356 00:14:59,625 --> 00:15:01,042 - Testing. 357 00:15:01,542 --> 00:15:02,875 Can you hear me? 358 00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:05,208 Hello. 359 00:15:05,333 --> 00:15:07,208 - [David] And rarely do you think of it as applied 360 00:15:07,208 --> 00:15:08,375 to the fast food industry, 361 00:15:08,375 --> 00:15:11,292 but in this case, Harry Snyder said, 362 00:15:11,292 --> 00:15:15,542 I'm familiar with this two-way radio technology. 363 00:15:15,542 --> 00:15:19,500 Why not try it in my drive-up window? 364 00:15:19,500 --> 00:15:22,583 [tense dramatic music] 365 00:15:28,375 --> 00:15:29,542 - Keep talking. 366 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,333 [tense dramatic music] 367 00:15:34,792 --> 00:15:39,875 - [Adam] So the idea of using a military communication system 368 00:15:39,875 --> 00:15:42,083 in a restaurant setting 369 00:15:42,083 --> 00:15:44,625 is nothing short of groundbreaking. 370 00:15:44,625 --> 00:15:47,375 [tense dramatic music] 371 00:15:47,375 --> 00:15:48,542 - [Wife on Radio] If you have to keep doing this, 372 00:15:48,542 --> 00:15:50,208 you could at least make me a milkshake. 373 00:15:50,208 --> 00:15:54,500 [tense dramatic music] 374 00:15:54,500 --> 00:15:55,625 - Welcome to In-N-Out. 375 00:15:55,625 --> 00:15:56,792 Can I take your order? 376 00:15:56,792 --> 00:15:58,958 [triumphant music] 377 00:15:58,958 --> 00:16:00,500 [Esther chuckles] 378 00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:02,708 - [Narrator] While Harry Snyder thinks he's perfected 379 00:16:02,708 --> 00:16:05,208 his new two-way speaker, 380 00:16:05,208 --> 00:16:07,958 he won't know until he gives it a test run. 381 00:16:09,375 --> 00:16:11,208 - [Chirag] So Harry ends up putting the speaker box. 382 00:16:11,208 --> 00:16:12,708 It's about three car lengths away 383 00:16:12,708 --> 00:16:14,000 from the drive-through window. 384 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:15,708 Customers come up, place their order, 385 00:16:15,708 --> 00:16:16,875 and that order is relayed 386 00:16:16,875 --> 00:16:18,083 back to the kitchen. 387 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:20,167 - Car just pulled in. 388 00:16:20,167 --> 00:16:23,875 [tense dramatic music] 389 00:16:23,875 --> 00:16:26,042 - Greetings, please let me know your order. 390 00:16:28,542 --> 00:16:31,333 - The drive-through speaker is just sort of awkward. 391 00:16:31,333 --> 00:16:33,417 It's not a phone where you dial someone up 392 00:16:33,417 --> 00:16:34,708 and wait for them to pick up. 393 00:16:34,708 --> 00:16:37,167 It's not like a speaker at a drive in movie 394 00:16:37,167 --> 00:16:38,750 where you're just listening. 395 00:16:38,750 --> 00:16:41,208 [tense dramatic music] 396 00:16:41,208 --> 00:16:42,750 - Hi, can I help you? 397 00:16:42,750 --> 00:16:44,250 - Am I supposed to wait for someone 398 00:16:44,250 --> 00:16:46,708 to take my order or just pull up here? 399 00:16:46,708 --> 00:16:49,667 - Most Americans didn't even know how to interact 400 00:16:49,667 --> 00:16:51,750 with this kind of technology. 401 00:16:51,750 --> 00:16:53,208 - You just order back there. 402 00:16:53,208 --> 00:16:56,500 - I didn't see a phone button or anything. 403 00:16:56,500 --> 00:16:57,292 - You don't need it. 404 00:16:57,292 --> 00:16:58,625 You just talk into the box. 405 00:16:59,917 --> 00:17:01,000 - [Kevin] Believe it or not, 406 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,375 there was a period in human history 407 00:17:03,375 --> 00:17:05,000 where people were like "Intercom?" 408 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:05,875 Like what? 409 00:17:05,875 --> 00:17:07,208 Talk to a machine, 410 00:17:07,208 --> 00:17:08,708 and there's a person trapped in the machine. 411 00:17:08,708 --> 00:17:09,833 I don't understand. 412 00:17:10,333 --> 00:17:10,542 Apparently it's too confusing. 413 00:17:11,250 --> 00:17:12,208 Apparently it's too confusing. 414 00:17:12,208 --> 00:17:13,958 - What do you mean? 415 00:17:13,958 --> 00:17:15,167 - He left. 416 00:17:22,250 --> 00:17:23,958 - [Narrator] Harry Snyder's groundbreaking 417 00:17:23,958 --> 00:17:27,708 two-way technology isn't catching on with customers, 418 00:17:27,708 --> 00:17:31,375 leaving his new drive-through business concept in jeopardy. 419 00:17:31,375 --> 00:17:33,417 - [Jason] It's crazy to think people feel 420 00:17:33,417 --> 00:17:36,125 so self-conscious about speaking to this weird, 421 00:17:36,125 --> 00:17:38,042 you know, futuristic alien device. 422 00:17:38,042 --> 00:17:40,375 It seems so simple. 423 00:17:40,375 --> 00:17:43,500 - And so to kind of ease people into it, 424 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:45,875 Harry apparently rigged up this sign 425 00:17:45,875 --> 00:17:49,167 that said two-way speaker for your convenience, 426 00:17:49,167 --> 00:17:51,042 may order without leaving the car. 427 00:17:52,583 --> 00:17:55,333 - [Narrator] And eventually customers begin enjoying 428 00:17:55,333 --> 00:17:57,250 the new convenience. 429 00:17:57,250 --> 00:17:58,917 - Whatever apprehension people had, 430 00:17:58,917 --> 00:18:00,292 they got over it, 431 00:18:00,292 --> 00:18:02,042 'cause they really like those burgers. 432 00:18:02,042 --> 00:18:03,958 - [Adam] It's arguably the quickest way 433 00:18:03,958 --> 00:18:07,875 to get food in existence at this time. 434 00:18:07,875 --> 00:18:10,292 But understand that he's also now 435 00:18:10,292 --> 00:18:12,000 built the first drive-through 436 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,375 three decades before McDonald's, 437 00:18:14,375 --> 00:18:17,417 which has arguably become the gold standard 438 00:18:17,417 --> 00:18:21,125 when it comes to drive-through technology. 439 00:18:21,125 --> 00:18:22,708 - [Narrator] But in 1948, 440 00:18:22,708 --> 00:18:26,292 not only has McDonald's not embraced the drive-through, 441 00:18:26,292 --> 00:18:28,375 they don't offer fast food. 442 00:18:28,375 --> 00:18:29,583 - [Brooke] At this time, 443 00:18:29,583 --> 00:18:31,167 McDonald's is a full drive-in restaurant. 444 00:18:31,167 --> 00:18:33,917 They're serving everything from barbecued beef, ham, 445 00:18:33,917 --> 00:18:36,708 and pork, to tamales, 446 00:18:36,708 --> 00:18:39,125 to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 447 00:18:39,125 --> 00:18:40,500 - [Adam C.] After eight years of business, 448 00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:43,333 the McDonald's brothers did the unthinkable act 449 00:18:43,333 --> 00:18:46,167 of closing their drive-in for three months 450 00:18:46,167 --> 00:18:49,542 to totally revamp it into a burger stand. 451 00:18:49,542 --> 00:18:53,167 - [Narrator] They go from 25 menu items to only burgers, 452 00:18:53,167 --> 00:18:56,125 fries, drinks, and pie. 453 00:18:56,125 --> 00:18:57,833 - The McDonald's brothers made this transition 454 00:18:57,833 --> 00:19:00,500 because they saw that speed was the thing 455 00:19:00,500 --> 00:19:02,500 that Americans cared about the most. 456 00:19:03,750 --> 00:19:06,542 And so what the McDonald's brothers did 457 00:19:06,542 --> 00:19:09,917 was create a walk-up window where you would be able to park, 458 00:19:09,917 --> 00:19:12,375 but then leave your car, pick up your food, 459 00:19:12,375 --> 00:19:14,792 and then go back to your car and eat it somewhere else. 460 00:19:14,792 --> 00:19:17,042 - [Narrator] Their need for speed inspires 461 00:19:17,042 --> 00:19:18,708 a new kitchen design 462 00:19:18,708 --> 00:19:21,500 known as the speedy service system. 463 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:23,042 A hamburger goes from grill 464 00:19:23,042 --> 00:19:26,042 to counter in 60 seconds or less. 465 00:19:26,042 --> 00:19:27,500 - Their whole idea was that 466 00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:29,917 we're gonna put the hamburger on the assembly line. 467 00:19:29,917 --> 00:19:34,792 - [Narrator] Sales increase by 40% almost overnight, 468 00:19:34,792 --> 00:19:38,958 but for now they are just a small walk-up outpost. 469 00:19:38,958 --> 00:19:41,375 [dramatic music] 470 00:19:41,375 --> 00:19:43,792 Meanwhile, much like McDonald's, 471 00:19:43,792 --> 00:19:46,875 Robert Peterson thinks simplifying his menu 472 00:19:46,875 --> 00:19:50,083 could be the key to saving his drive-in business. 473 00:19:50,083 --> 00:19:53,458 - Peterson realizes that his existing menu 474 00:19:53,458 --> 00:19:55,417 is a recipe for disaster. 475 00:19:55,417 --> 00:19:57,708 - [Bill] Oscars has an extensive menu of things 476 00:19:57,708 --> 00:19:59,542 like steak dinners and chef salads, 477 00:19:59,542 --> 00:20:02,375 all sorts of stuff all over the map. 478 00:20:02,375 --> 00:20:04,625 It was often a complex meal 479 00:20:04,625 --> 00:20:07,583 that was not fast to make or fast to eat. 480 00:20:08,833 --> 00:20:10,917 - [Narrator] He simplifies the menu to burgers, 481 00:20:10,917 --> 00:20:13,292 fries, and shakes. 482 00:20:13,292 --> 00:20:15,792 - Peterson understands that cars are exactly 483 00:20:15,792 --> 00:20:18,292 what the customers want to arrive in, 484 00:20:18,292 --> 00:20:20,542 but they also want to go much more quickly. 485 00:20:20,542 --> 00:20:22,542 And so he decides to change his model 486 00:20:22,542 --> 00:20:24,417 or else he's gonna go out of business. 487 00:20:24,417 --> 00:20:25,958 - [Brooke] He imagines an ordering system 488 00:20:25,958 --> 00:20:27,375 that's more in the same vein 489 00:20:27,375 --> 00:20:29,500 as what Harry Snyder is doing up north. 490 00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:31,083 But unlike Harry Snyder, 491 00:20:31,083 --> 00:20:32,542 Peterson isn't really a foodie. 492 00:20:32,542 --> 00:20:34,917 He just wants to speed up the process 493 00:20:34,917 --> 00:20:36,750 and rake in more profit. 494 00:20:36,750 --> 00:20:38,333 - [Adam C.] Robert Peterson catches wind 495 00:20:38,333 --> 00:20:41,208 of an intercom system in Anchorage, Alaska 496 00:20:41,208 --> 00:20:43,958 and he flies out the inventor to San Diego 497 00:20:43,958 --> 00:20:45,750 to demo the product for him. 498 00:20:49,875 --> 00:20:51,167 - This is it? 499 00:20:51,167 --> 00:20:52,667 [light playful music] 500 00:20:52,667 --> 00:20:55,500 - It's unclear whether he'd ever heard of In-N-Out. 501 00:20:55,500 --> 00:20:57,375 - [Bill] Southern California was the ultimate 502 00:20:57,375 --> 00:20:58,542 in American car culture. 503 00:20:58,542 --> 00:21:00,083 So it seemed inevitable 504 00:21:00,083 --> 00:21:02,250 that probably more than one guy was gonna figure out 505 00:21:02,250 --> 00:21:03,917 that there was a new and better way 506 00:21:03,917 --> 00:21:05,583 to order burgers from your car. 507 00:21:06,542 --> 00:21:08,042 - [Narrator] But unlike Harry Snyder, 508 00:21:08,042 --> 00:21:12,583 Peterson sees the flaws in the system immediately. 509 00:21:12,583 --> 00:21:14,542 - But if people just see a metal box, 510 00:21:14,542 --> 00:21:16,667 they're not gonna know to talk into it. 511 00:21:18,208 --> 00:21:21,375 - So he realized that having this speaker 512 00:21:21,375 --> 00:21:23,167 just sort of standing up on a pole, 513 00:21:23,167 --> 00:21:24,833 it might look very weird, 514 00:21:24,833 --> 00:21:26,667 very foreign, a little off-putting. 515 00:21:27,875 --> 00:21:32,833 - It needs to be more intuitive and welcoming. 516 00:21:34,208 --> 00:21:37,375 - He realizes that what people are missing 517 00:21:37,375 --> 00:21:40,542 is a little bit of a face-to-face and interaction. 518 00:21:42,125 --> 00:21:44,000 [dramatic music] 519 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:45,417 - What if 520 00:21:46,208 --> 00:21:49,208 we gave a face to the voice? 521 00:21:49,208 --> 00:21:50,542 - [Erin] Oscar's drive-in 522 00:21:50,542 --> 00:21:52,458 already had the circus design on the building, 523 00:21:52,458 --> 00:21:54,750 so why not just continue with that theme 524 00:21:54,750 --> 00:21:56,292 for his new speaker system? 525 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:58,833 - Something fun 526 00:22:00,833 --> 00:22:01,708 like a clown, 527 00:22:02,875 --> 00:22:05,458 [upbeat music] 528 00:22:07,625 --> 00:22:10,208 like a Jack-in-the-Box. 529 00:22:10,208 --> 00:22:13,125 [dramatic music] 530 00:22:13,125 --> 00:22:15,417 - [Narrator] In February 1951, 531 00:22:15,417 --> 00:22:18,250 Peterson converts one of his Oscar drive-ins 532 00:22:18,250 --> 00:22:20,458 to a drive-through restaurant. 533 00:22:20,458 --> 00:22:22,417 It features a simple menu board 534 00:22:22,417 --> 00:22:25,125 and clown themed ordering system. 535 00:22:25,125 --> 00:22:27,042 - [Jason] He actually named the clown Jack. 536 00:22:27,042 --> 00:22:27,958 Give your order to Jack. 537 00:22:27,958 --> 00:22:28,958 Jack will take your order. 538 00:22:28,958 --> 00:22:29,542 And it made it homey. 539 00:22:29,542 --> 00:22:31,083 It made it personal. 540 00:22:31,083 --> 00:22:33,625 And pretty soon he's so well known for that intercom 541 00:22:33,625 --> 00:22:35,542 and that clown that he decides 542 00:22:35,542 --> 00:22:38,708 to name the entire restaurant after the clown. 543 00:22:38,708 --> 00:22:41,875 - [Narrator] He calls it Jack in the Box. 544 00:22:41,875 --> 00:22:44,417 - [Kevin] They were talking to this clown head who was 545 00:22:44,417 --> 00:22:47,500 engineered to make a brand-new technological experience 546 00:22:47,500 --> 00:22:50,042 a little more palatable for an American public 547 00:22:50,042 --> 00:22:51,292 that wasn't used to 548 00:22:51,292 --> 00:22:54,333 something as new as an intercom system. 549 00:22:54,333 --> 00:22:55,625 - [Narrator] While Peterson experiments 550 00:22:55,750 --> 00:22:58,708 with just this single drive-through only location. 551 00:22:59,750 --> 00:23:01,708 Harry Snyder has started expanding 552 00:23:01,708 --> 00:23:04,958 his In-N-Out drive-through concept. 553 00:23:04,958 --> 00:23:06,125 - And flip. 554 00:23:07,875 --> 00:23:09,125 Timing is key. 555 00:23:09,125 --> 00:23:10,708 No short or no longer. 556 00:23:10,708 --> 00:23:14,042 - Every time the new restaurant opened, word spread, 557 00:23:14,042 --> 00:23:17,042 and the heavy lift was done by word of mouth. 558 00:23:17,042 --> 00:23:19,208 - [Narrator] They eventually have five locations 559 00:23:19,208 --> 00:23:21,625 within the San Gabriel Valley. 560 00:23:21,625 --> 00:23:24,917 - Five locations may not sound very impressive, 561 00:23:24,917 --> 00:23:26,000 but just remember this. 562 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:27,792 This wasn't a corporation. 563 00:23:27,792 --> 00:23:29,375 This was a husband and wife. 564 00:23:29,375 --> 00:23:31,708 It was one person's idea. 565 00:23:31,708 --> 00:23:33,583 This was before McDonald's 566 00:23:33,583 --> 00:23:36,667 even opened their second location. 567 00:23:36,667 --> 00:23:38,667 - [Narrator] But his investor, Charles Noden, 568 00:23:38,667 --> 00:23:40,667 is eager to grow the business. 569 00:23:42,042 --> 00:23:43,083 - What's this? 570 00:23:43,083 --> 00:23:44,667 - [Harry] Potential locations? 571 00:23:45,750 --> 00:23:47,833 - [Bill] Harry Snyder was very exacting 572 00:23:47,833 --> 00:23:49,542 with extremely high standards 573 00:23:49,542 --> 00:23:52,208 that by in today's terms would be called a hard-ass. 574 00:23:52,208 --> 00:23:54,708 - There's no way I'll be able to run all these. 575 00:23:54,708 --> 00:23:59,167 - Before he opened another In-N-Out store, 576 00:23:59,167 --> 00:24:00,458 he had to have management 577 00:24:00,458 --> 00:24:02,292 that was trained the way he wanted it to be trained 578 00:24:02,292 --> 00:24:04,458 so that quality wouldn't suffer. 579 00:24:04,458 --> 00:24:05,958 - We cut back on a few things. 580 00:24:05,958 --> 00:24:08,000 We profit by scaling up. 581 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,500 - [Stacy] You would have to cut corners 582 00:24:09,500 --> 00:24:11,667 and place profits over quality 583 00:24:11,667 --> 00:24:14,708 and that was something the Snyders did not wanna do. 584 00:24:14,708 --> 00:24:19,708 - There is a massive schism between Noden and Snyder. 585 00:24:20,792 --> 00:24:23,417 - No, we profit because we serve quality food 586 00:24:23,417 --> 00:24:25,417 that people come back for. 587 00:24:25,417 --> 00:24:27,375 - [Adam] Finally, it leads to a split 588 00:24:27,375 --> 00:24:29,708 with Noden taking three locations 589 00:24:29,708 --> 00:24:33,083 and the original location and one other one 590 00:24:33,083 --> 00:24:35,833 still being under the control of the Snyders 591 00:24:35,833 --> 00:24:39,250 including the very first location in Baldwin Park. 592 00:24:39,250 --> 00:24:41,625 - Financially it was stressful. 593 00:24:41,625 --> 00:24:43,083 He was their main investor, 594 00:24:43,083 --> 00:24:46,875 so they had to come up with a new plan. 595 00:24:46,875 --> 00:24:48,833 [dramatic music] 596 00:24:55,708 --> 00:24:57,250 - [Narrator] It's been two years 597 00:24:57,250 --> 00:25:00,500 since the founder of In-N-Out split with his investor, 598 00:25:00,500 --> 00:25:02,042 and now he's struggling 599 00:25:02,042 --> 00:25:05,417 being financially responsible for all of the business. 600 00:25:05,417 --> 00:25:07,500 - Harry currently owns four locations, 601 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:09,500 two that he acquired from his split with Noden 602 00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:11,417 and two that he built himself. 603 00:25:11,417 --> 00:25:13,375 - [Narrator] But a piece of news arrives 604 00:25:13,375 --> 00:25:14,917 that could change everything. 605 00:25:20,458 --> 00:25:21,917 - Is there any way out of it? 606 00:25:23,667 --> 00:25:25,583 - So one day in 1954, 607 00:25:25,583 --> 00:25:27,792 Harry ends up getting a letter from the Big Bad Wolf, 608 00:25:27,792 --> 00:25:29,208 the federal government. 609 00:25:29,208 --> 00:25:31,833 They're claiming something called eminent domain, 610 00:25:31,833 --> 00:25:33,417 which allows the federal government 611 00:25:33,417 --> 00:25:36,042 to take over land in order to build out infrastructure. 612 00:25:36,042 --> 00:25:40,333 - [Adam] They are going to expand I-10 right through 613 00:25:40,333 --> 00:25:45,208 Baldwin Park, and the Snyders have 30 days to close up shop. 614 00:25:46,292 --> 00:25:47,625 - [Narrator] For a second time, 615 00:25:47,625 --> 00:25:50,292 he's forced to give up half of his stores. 616 00:25:51,500 --> 00:25:54,917 [tense dramatic music] 617 00:25:56,250 --> 00:25:57,083 - Harry. 618 00:25:58,708 --> 00:26:02,708 - [Adam] But as they say, sunshine follows thunder 619 00:26:02,708 --> 00:26:06,542 and an unexpected boon comes their way. 620 00:26:06,542 --> 00:26:09,208 Because of the rising property values, 621 00:26:09,208 --> 00:26:11,042 the compensation they receive 622 00:26:11,042 --> 00:26:13,583 is more than they paid for the land. 623 00:26:15,958 --> 00:26:19,375 - It ultimately gave him a second lease on life. 624 00:26:19,375 --> 00:26:21,333 - [Narrator] With the government money as a cushion, 625 00:26:21,333 --> 00:26:25,917 Harry's able to open new stores at his own pace. 626 00:26:25,917 --> 00:26:30,500 - So what originally seemed like a disaster is a windfall. 627 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:32,375 - It allows him to never have to take on 628 00:26:32,375 --> 00:26:34,625 additional investors or franchise. 629 00:26:34,625 --> 00:26:36,458 - He wouldn't build a new In-N-Out 630 00:26:36,458 --> 00:26:38,458 until the other one had been paid off. 631 00:26:38,458 --> 00:26:40,000 So he would never take on debt. 632 00:26:41,167 --> 00:26:42,875 - [Narrator] While growing slowly, 633 00:26:42,875 --> 00:26:45,875 Harry focuses on refining the operations, 634 00:26:45,875 --> 00:26:48,917 adding features that are iconic to this day. 635 00:26:48,917 --> 00:26:51,333 - [Erin] In 1954, he updates the logo, 636 00:26:51,333 --> 00:26:52,958 adding a bright yellow arrow. 637 00:26:52,958 --> 00:26:56,042 He also puts employees in all white uniforms, 638 00:26:56,042 --> 00:26:57,917 signaling, cleanliness and quality 639 00:26:57,917 --> 00:26:59,875 as soon as you drive up to the window. 640 00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:02,917 - [Adam] The other thing is how you can customize your food. 641 00:27:02,917 --> 00:27:07,625 It has arguably the very first secret menu 642 00:27:07,625 --> 00:27:09,792 out of any given national chain. 643 00:27:09,792 --> 00:27:13,583 From your animal style to your flying Dutchman, 644 00:27:13,583 --> 00:27:15,292 to your protein style, 645 00:27:15,292 --> 00:27:16,667 I Mustard grill them. 646 00:27:16,667 --> 00:27:20,875 I make my own animal styles all the time. 647 00:27:20,875 --> 00:27:22,625 - [Narrator] It will be over two decades 648 00:27:22,625 --> 00:27:24,875 and after Harry Snyder's death 649 00:27:24,875 --> 00:27:28,208 that In-N-Out will grow to even 20 locations. 650 00:27:28,208 --> 00:27:32,500 - [Adam] In-N-Out's legacy is a very, very profound example 651 00:27:32,500 --> 00:27:37,125 that yes, you can make money without sacrificing integrity. 652 00:27:37,125 --> 00:27:40,750 You can grow your brand and grow your footprint 653 00:27:40,750 --> 00:27:43,708 without it growing out of your control. 654 00:27:43,708 --> 00:27:44,792 - [Narrator] While In-N-Out keeps 655 00:27:44,792 --> 00:27:46,750 their drive-through chains small. 656 00:27:48,667 --> 00:27:50,625 Robert Peterson has expanded 657 00:27:50,625 --> 00:27:52,958 to four Jack in the Box restaurants 658 00:27:52,958 --> 00:27:55,625 and has dreams of adding many more. 659 00:27:55,625 --> 00:27:56,750 But by the 1950s, 660 00:27:57,667 --> 00:27:59,458 he will have to compete with more 661 00:27:59,458 --> 00:28:01,417 and more burger spots. 662 00:28:01,417 --> 00:28:02,708 - So at this point in California 663 00:28:02,708 --> 00:28:04,875 you have Carl's Jr. From Anaheim. 664 00:28:04,875 --> 00:28:06,083 You have Bob's Big Boy, 665 00:28:06,083 --> 00:28:08,042 which is like a family friendly diner. 666 00:28:08,042 --> 00:28:10,750 And nationally you have Dairy Queen and A&W, 667 00:28:10,750 --> 00:28:12,875 and these are all in the burger game, 668 00:28:12,875 --> 00:28:15,333 but none of them have drive-throughs. 669 00:28:15,333 --> 00:28:18,500 - [Narrator] McDonald's still just has six locations, 670 00:28:18,500 --> 00:28:22,583 but a man named Ray Kroc has just entered the picture 671 00:28:22,583 --> 00:28:24,333 and is about to take control 672 00:28:24,333 --> 00:28:27,792 and expand McDonald's reach exponentially. 673 00:28:28,917 --> 00:28:31,833 As Jack in the Box faces more competition, 674 00:28:31,833 --> 00:28:34,125 Peterson looks for an edge. 675 00:28:34,125 --> 00:28:35,750 - [Chirag] He realized that the one thing Jack in the Box has 676 00:28:35,750 --> 00:28:36,875 is the drive-through model, 677 00:28:36,875 --> 00:28:38,333 and he wants to make sure 678 00:28:38,333 --> 00:28:39,750 that they're capitalizing on this short window 679 00:28:39,750 --> 00:28:42,250 that they have before anyone else catches up. 680 00:28:42,250 --> 00:28:44,458 - [Brooke] He wants to change up his menu to include foods 681 00:28:44,458 --> 00:28:45,917 that are especially crafted 682 00:28:45,917 --> 00:28:47,708 for the drive-through experience. 683 00:28:49,125 --> 00:28:52,208 - We need something you can hold with a hand on the wheel. 684 00:28:54,375 --> 00:28:56,667 - [Narrator] He lands on an unfamiliar food 685 00:28:56,667 --> 00:28:58,375 to most of America, 686 00:28:58,375 --> 00:28:59,750 the taco. 687 00:29:00,542 --> 00:29:02,917 - [Adam] He ditches the traditional hard shell 688 00:29:02,917 --> 00:29:05,042 uses a soft tortilla, 689 00:29:05,042 --> 00:29:08,833 wraps it around the ingredients and he fries it. 690 00:29:10,208 --> 00:29:14,542 - [Narrator] Jack in the Box's fried taco launches in 1954, 691 00:29:14,542 --> 00:29:17,083 seven years before Taco Bell. 692 00:29:17,083 --> 00:29:18,917 - [Adam C.] Robert Peterson and Jack in the Box 693 00:29:18,917 --> 00:29:22,500 may have made the first taco experience 694 00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:24,042 for millions of Americans 695 00:29:24,042 --> 00:29:25,667 who'd never heard of a taco 696 00:29:25,667 --> 00:29:28,375 before driving through a Jack in the Box. 697 00:29:28,375 --> 00:29:30,708 - [Narrator] It quickly becomes the most popular item 698 00:29:30,708 --> 00:29:31,750 on the menu. 699 00:29:33,375 --> 00:29:37,042 One day selling over half a billion a year. 700 00:29:37,042 --> 00:29:40,042 - [Jason] That's more Big Macs than McDonald's sells 701 00:29:40,042 --> 00:29:41,542 in the year in this country. 702 00:29:41,542 --> 00:29:43,917 That is a wild statistic. 703 00:29:43,917 --> 00:29:45,458 - [Narrator] Over the next decade, 704 00:29:45,458 --> 00:29:48,833 Jack in the Box expands to almost 200 drive-throughs 705 00:29:48,833 --> 00:29:50,917 across the Western US, 706 00:29:50,917 --> 00:29:53,292 with plans to go nationwide. 707 00:29:54,542 --> 00:29:58,708 But by 1965, under the full control of Ray Kroc, 708 00:29:58,708 --> 00:30:02,458 McDonald's has 700 stores coast to coast, 709 00:30:02,458 --> 00:30:06,333 all built around the walk-up design that defined the brand. 710 00:30:08,542 --> 00:30:11,417 But now McDonald's vice president of operations, 711 00:30:11,417 --> 00:30:15,500 Fred Turner, is leading the biggest transformation 712 00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:17,042 in company history. 713 00:30:17,042 --> 00:30:20,875 - [Gary] Fred Turner started off as a fry cook 714 00:30:20,875 --> 00:30:23,208 at Ray Kroc's first McDonald's store 715 00:30:23,208 --> 00:30:24,750 in Des Plaines, Illinois. 716 00:30:24,750 --> 00:30:27,125 Now he was the person in charge 717 00:30:27,125 --> 00:30:30,292 with making Ray's vision a reality. 718 00:30:30,292 --> 00:30:34,833 - McDonald's is investing in a new look. 719 00:30:35,958 --> 00:30:37,500 - [Gary] Ray Kroc's vision was 720 00:30:37,500 --> 00:30:41,458 that McDonald's would be a family-based dine-in restaurant 721 00:30:41,458 --> 00:30:43,292 as opposed to just walk up 722 00:30:43,292 --> 00:30:45,250 and get their burgers and walk away. 723 00:30:46,042 --> 00:30:48,042 - Parents have a place to sit. 724 00:30:48,042 --> 00:30:49,792 The longer they stay, 725 00:30:49,792 --> 00:30:51,125 the more likely the little ones are 726 00:30:51,125 --> 00:30:54,083 to ask for another fry or shake. 727 00:30:55,292 --> 00:30:56,583 - [Erin] They wanna become America's 728 00:30:56,583 --> 00:30:58,083 family gathering place. 729 00:30:58,083 --> 00:31:00,708 So for the first time they plan to add indoor seating 730 00:31:00,708 --> 00:31:02,958 and make the buildings feel more homey, 731 00:31:02,958 --> 00:31:05,375 including adding the mansard style roof. 732 00:31:05,375 --> 00:31:08,292 They even come up with a new golden arches M logo 733 00:31:08,292 --> 00:31:09,875 to make them more recognizable 734 00:31:09,875 --> 00:31:11,875 as people drive down the road. 735 00:31:11,875 --> 00:31:14,458 - But there's still one design element 736 00:31:14,458 --> 00:31:16,458 that's notably missing. 737 00:31:16,458 --> 00:31:17,500 - On your earlier note, 738 00:31:18,542 --> 00:31:20,000 families are on the go. 739 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,125 What if we invested in drive-throughs? 740 00:31:25,208 --> 00:31:27,167 - [Gary] Brent Cameron was the director 741 00:31:27,167 --> 00:31:30,208 of the entire western region, 742 00:31:30,208 --> 00:31:34,708 which was the largest region of McDonald's stores. 743 00:31:34,708 --> 00:31:38,083 - [Bobby] This gives him a unique perspective into trends 744 00:31:38,083 --> 00:31:39,792 that maybe aren't easily observable 745 00:31:39,792 --> 00:31:42,000 at headquarters in Illinois. 746 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:43,708 - [Narrator] And Cameron's vision 747 00:31:43,708 --> 00:31:45,542 doesn't align with corporate. 748 00:31:45,542 --> 00:31:48,875 - [Bobby] He sees Jack in the Box absolutely crushing it 749 00:31:48,875 --> 00:31:51,167 with their drive-throughs. 750 00:31:51,167 --> 00:31:53,667 - [Brooke] At this time, no other walk-up restaurant 751 00:31:53,667 --> 00:31:54,917 had implemented a drive-through, 752 00:31:54,917 --> 00:31:56,792 but Brent Cameron really thinks 753 00:31:56,792 --> 00:31:59,208 that McDonald's should be the first. 754 00:31:59,208 --> 00:32:01,417 - Eating in the car is a thing of the past. 755 00:32:02,792 --> 00:32:06,333 McDonald's is investing in the future. 756 00:32:07,458 --> 00:32:09,125 - [Bobby] Brent Cameron is confident 757 00:32:09,125 --> 00:32:10,792 that the drive-through is a missed opportunity 758 00:32:10,792 --> 00:32:12,042 for McDonald's, 759 00:32:12,042 --> 00:32:13,917 but it's not a battle that he's won 760 00:32:13,917 --> 00:32:16,583 with his corporate overlords quite yet. 761 00:32:17,542 --> 00:32:19,292 [dramatic music] 762 00:32:24,083 --> 00:32:25,708 [tense dramatic music] 763 00:32:25,708 --> 00:32:27,042 [phone rings] 764 00:32:27,042 --> 00:32:29,208 - [Narrator] By 1968, Robert Peterson looks 765 00:32:29,208 --> 00:32:32,042 to supercharge Jack in the Box expansion 766 00:32:32,042 --> 00:32:36,417 from 1,000 locations to 1,500 in five years. 767 00:32:36,417 --> 00:32:39,958 So he sets up a meeting with a big potential investor, 768 00:32:39,958 --> 00:32:41,417 Ralston Purina. 769 00:32:42,667 --> 00:32:46,500 - For a Jack in the Box franchise 20 is a bit low. 770 00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:49,708 - Ralston Purina is known for its dog and cat food, 771 00:32:49,708 --> 00:32:54,958 but it wants to expand its business into restaurants. 772 00:32:56,042 --> 00:32:59,083 - Oh, oh, okay, let me get back to you. 773 00:33:03,167 --> 00:33:05,708 They're not interested in investing, 774 00:33:09,042 --> 00:33:13,000 20 million for everything. 775 00:33:14,708 --> 00:33:16,792 - [Adam C.] Robert Peterson sells to Ralston Purina for 776 00:33:16,792 --> 00:33:18,250 $20 million. 777 00:33:18,250 --> 00:33:21,708 Which is nearly $200 million by today's standards. 778 00:33:21,708 --> 00:33:23,250 - [Narrator] He'll spend the rest of his life 779 00:33:23,250 --> 00:33:25,417 focused on philanthropy 780 00:33:25,417 --> 00:33:28,792 leaving his protege Jack Goodall in charge. 781 00:33:28,792 --> 00:33:30,208 - [Kate] Jack Goodall started 782 00:33:30,208 --> 00:33:32,667 as a management trainee about five years ago 783 00:33:32,667 --> 00:33:36,333 and he's been groomed by Peterson as his right hand man. 784 00:33:36,333 --> 00:33:39,125 - [Narrator] But despite Ralston Purina's bigger budgets, 785 00:33:39,125 --> 00:33:41,458 Goodall will quickly face hurdles 786 00:33:41,458 --> 00:33:43,292 with the nationwide expansion. 787 00:33:44,417 --> 00:33:47,208 - Jack in the Box is trying to expand eastward 788 00:33:47,208 --> 00:33:49,042 and they're having a lot of problems. 789 00:33:49,042 --> 00:33:52,125 As they expand into more densely populated areas in cities. 790 00:33:52,125 --> 00:33:54,375 They're running into a lot of bureaucratic red tape 791 00:33:54,375 --> 00:33:56,375 and they're also encountering difficulties 792 00:33:56,375 --> 00:33:58,292 in managing an operation that large. 793 00:33:59,542 --> 00:34:02,083 - [Narrator] And now Goodall feels added pressure 794 00:34:02,083 --> 00:34:05,250 to deliver for his new bosses at Purina. 795 00:34:05,250 --> 00:34:07,250 - [Adam C.] Realizing that McDonald's still hasn't 796 00:34:07,250 --> 00:34:09,042 adopted the drive-through yet. 797 00:34:09,042 --> 00:34:11,417 Jack in the Box thought if we have an advantage 798 00:34:11,417 --> 00:34:14,500 at the drive-through, maybe we can scheme new ways 799 00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:17,042 that they can create more customers. 800 00:34:18,375 --> 00:34:19,667 - Chili? 801 00:34:19,667 --> 00:34:21,792 [tense dramatic music] 802 00:34:21,792 --> 00:34:23,583 - Can't eat with a single hand. 803 00:34:23,583 --> 00:34:26,708 [tense dramatic music] 804 00:34:28,708 --> 00:34:30,042 Thank you. 805 00:34:30,042 --> 00:34:30,917 - Pizza. 806 00:34:30,917 --> 00:34:33,333 [tense dramatic music] 807 00:34:33,333 --> 00:34:34,750 - Nah, it's already overdone. 808 00:34:37,542 --> 00:34:39,750 She couldn't find anything more substantial. 809 00:34:40,833 --> 00:34:43,000 - Only thing opened this early. 810 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:46,417 [tense dramatic music] 811 00:34:46,417 --> 00:34:49,417 - With the fast food universe now becoming this gold rush. 812 00:34:49,417 --> 00:34:51,167 Goodall realizes is that there's really 813 00:34:51,167 --> 00:34:53,333 only one category of food left to pioneer. 814 00:34:54,167 --> 00:34:56,125 [dramatic music] 815 00:34:56,125 --> 00:34:58,250 - [Narrator] In 1969, Jack in the Box 816 00:34:58,250 --> 00:35:00,375 is the first fast food chain 817 00:35:00,375 --> 00:35:03,458 to open early and serve breakfast. 818 00:35:03,458 --> 00:35:04,375 - [Jason] There are people who are driving 819 00:35:04,375 --> 00:35:05,708 to work in the morning, 820 00:35:05,708 --> 00:35:08,250 they're hungry and they don't have time to stop 821 00:35:08,250 --> 00:35:10,333 and sit down to eat breakfast. 822 00:35:10,333 --> 00:35:11,875 - [Adam C.] Jack in the Box thought, 823 00:35:11,875 --> 00:35:13,375 if we have a drive-through, 824 00:35:13,375 --> 00:35:15,500 maybe we can serve an entire part of the day 825 00:35:15,500 --> 00:35:18,083 that had been neglected by the industry. 826 00:35:18,083 --> 00:35:20,167 - [Brooke] It's amazing when you realize 827 00:35:20,167 --> 00:35:23,417 that in the first 20 years of fast food, 828 00:35:23,417 --> 00:35:25,292 nobody thought to serve breakfast. 829 00:35:25,292 --> 00:35:27,625 - [David] And this becomes revolutionary 830 00:35:27,625 --> 00:35:29,458 not just in the fast food industry 831 00:35:29,458 --> 00:35:31,375 but how Americans will eat. 832 00:35:31,375 --> 00:35:34,333 Suddenly we become fast food consumers 833 00:35:34,333 --> 00:35:36,875 morning, midday, and evening. 834 00:35:38,042 --> 00:35:39,375 - [Narrator] As breakfast accelerates 835 00:35:39,375 --> 00:35:41,250 Jack in the Box's sales, 836 00:35:42,542 --> 00:35:46,333 a new challenger emerges in the drive-through space. 837 00:35:46,333 --> 00:35:48,208 Within a year of launching Wendy's, 838 00:35:48,208 --> 00:35:50,083 its founder Dave Thomas 839 00:35:50,083 --> 00:35:52,958 adds drive-throughs to all of his stores. 840 00:35:52,958 --> 00:35:56,208 - [David] Dave Thomas adds to the three point system. 841 00:35:56,208 --> 00:35:58,917 He says you order at the microphone, 842 00:35:58,917 --> 00:36:01,208 you pay at the first window 843 00:36:01,208 --> 00:36:03,792 and you pick up at the second window. 844 00:36:03,792 --> 00:36:06,042 - [Erin] At this point, the pioneers of the drive-through 845 00:36:06,042 --> 00:36:08,917 In-N-Out and Jack in the Box are still drive-through only. 846 00:36:08,917 --> 00:36:10,542 So for the first time ever, 847 00:36:10,542 --> 00:36:12,375 a walk-up restaurant with a counter 848 00:36:12,375 --> 00:36:15,167 and indoor seating also offers a drive-through. 849 00:36:19,167 --> 00:36:20,208 - [Narrator] At the same time, 850 00:36:20,208 --> 00:36:21,917 McDonald's is in the midst 851 00:36:21,917 --> 00:36:24,167 of a massive brand renovation 852 00:36:24,167 --> 00:36:27,375 rolling out at all 1,500 locations. 853 00:36:27,375 --> 00:36:29,208 - [Bobby] It is an absolute behemoth 854 00:36:29,208 --> 00:36:34,625 in the restaurant industry, 1972 hits the $1 billion mark. 855 00:36:34,625 --> 00:36:37,042 And even though they're going through all of the costs 856 00:36:37,042 --> 00:36:38,792 of updating restaurants, 857 00:36:38,792 --> 00:36:41,042 they don't implement a single drive-through. 858 00:36:41,042 --> 00:36:44,042 - [Adam] Ray Kroc felt the idea of a drive-through 859 00:36:44,042 --> 00:36:46,375 sort of undercut this idea 860 00:36:46,375 --> 00:36:49,875 of American family gathering place. 861 00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:54,458 - [Narrator] And one franchise owner is unhappy about it. 862 00:36:54,458 --> 00:36:56,917 - [Erin] David Rich is a McDonald's franchise owner 863 00:36:56,917 --> 00:36:58,458 in Sierra Vista, Arizona, 864 00:36:58,458 --> 00:37:01,542 which is located right next to an army base. 865 00:37:01,542 --> 00:37:03,167 - [Gary] So there's a new regulation that takes effect 866 00:37:03,167 --> 00:37:06,750 that prohibits service members from wearing their uniforms 867 00:37:06,750 --> 00:37:09,042 when they're out in public and in restaurants. 868 00:37:09,042 --> 00:37:14,208 - [David] So they could not go into McDonald's and buy food. 869 00:37:15,375 --> 00:37:19,167 - McDonald's is a walk up ordering process 870 00:37:19,167 --> 00:37:22,750 and that eliminates 40% 871 00:37:22,750 --> 00:37:25,667 of David Rich's business overnight. 872 00:37:25,667 --> 00:37:27,417 - [Narrator] David Rich has submitted 873 00:37:27,417 --> 00:37:31,042 several requests to corporate to add a drive-through, 874 00:37:31,042 --> 00:37:32,750 but he's been ignored. 875 00:37:32,750 --> 00:37:34,833 - [Adam C.] So if you can't feed people during lunch hour, 876 00:37:34,833 --> 00:37:36,667 you can't feed people on their way home from work 877 00:37:36,667 --> 00:37:38,458 who are you gonna feed and when? 878 00:37:39,708 --> 00:37:43,542 - [Adam] Ultimately desperation and maybe a bit of anger, 879 00:37:43,542 --> 00:37:46,042 get the best of Mr. Rich, 880 00:37:46,042 --> 00:37:49,708 and he decides he's putting in a drive-through his own way. 881 00:37:50,792 --> 00:37:53,042 [tense dramatic music] 882 00:37:57,792 --> 00:37:58,875 [tense dramatic music] 883 00:37:58,875 --> 00:37:59,792 - [Narrator] David Rich, 884 00:38:00,083 --> 00:38:02,292 the owner of a struggling McDonald's franchise, 885 00:38:02,292 --> 00:38:04,167 has gone completely rogue. 886 00:38:04,167 --> 00:38:08,750 - David Rich decided to buck the system without approval. 887 00:38:08,750 --> 00:38:12,458 He decided to make his own drive-through window. 888 00:38:12,458 --> 00:38:16,542 - It's risky and it's quite frankly a bit crazy as well. 889 00:38:16,542 --> 00:38:19,542 - [Narrator] And now corporate has gotten wind of his stunt. 890 00:38:21,083 --> 00:38:24,083 - Gentlemen, this is David Rich. 891 00:38:24,083 --> 00:38:26,958 Over the years, McDonald's has grown through franchising. 892 00:38:27,875 --> 00:38:29,208 In order to do so, 893 00:38:29,208 --> 00:38:32,750 we have set firm rules for owners to abide by. 894 00:38:32,750 --> 00:38:34,708 Tell them what you've done recently. 895 00:38:35,875 --> 00:38:37,042 - I uh, 896 00:38:37,042 --> 00:38:38,042 I built a drive-through. 897 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,208 - David Rich has broken one of the cardinal rules 898 00:38:42,208 --> 00:38:44,125 of McDonald's franchisees. 899 00:38:44,125 --> 00:38:45,708 - And the results are? 900 00:38:46,708 --> 00:38:47,583 - Sales went up 901 00:38:49,208 --> 00:38:50,042 - How far up? 902 00:38:51,208 --> 00:38:52,417 - Tremendously. 903 00:38:53,708 --> 00:38:55,250 - [Narrator] Since adding a drive-through option 904 00:38:55,250 --> 00:38:59,167 to his store, sales have increased by 40%. 905 00:38:59,167 --> 00:39:01,458 - [Adam C.] Brent Cameron has been advocating for the addition 906 00:39:01,458 --> 00:39:02,833 of the drive-through window 907 00:39:02,833 --> 00:39:05,708 and now David Rich has given him proof that 908 00:39:05,708 --> 00:39:08,542 they actually need the drive-through window 909 00:39:08,542 --> 00:39:11,083 to further improve their business. 910 00:39:11,083 --> 00:39:13,458 - And that's why the future 911 00:39:13,458 --> 00:39:17,292 of McDonald's should be dine-in 912 00:39:17,292 --> 00:39:19,708 and drive-through. 913 00:39:19,708 --> 00:39:21,583 [dramatic music] 914 00:39:21,583 --> 00:39:23,708 - [Bill] McDonald's was an enormous operation 915 00:39:23,708 --> 00:39:25,542 with many layers of bureaucracy 916 00:39:25,542 --> 00:39:28,542 and any kind of decision of this caliber 917 00:39:28,542 --> 00:39:31,167 was like turning a battleship around. 918 00:39:31,167 --> 00:39:32,667 - [Narrator] In 1975, 919 00:39:32,667 --> 00:39:35,708 just one year after Ray Kroc retires, 920 00:39:35,708 --> 00:39:39,042 McDonald's spends millions rolling out the installation 921 00:39:39,042 --> 00:39:41,583 of drive-throughs nationally. 922 00:39:41,583 --> 00:39:44,167 - [Bill] Everybody thinks that McDonald's invented that 923 00:39:44,167 --> 00:39:47,500 when in fact they were one of the latest ones to adopt it. 924 00:39:47,500 --> 00:39:48,917 - [Narrator] That same year, 925 00:39:48,917 --> 00:39:51,500 McDonald's takes their first breakfast sandwich, 926 00:39:51,500 --> 00:39:54,292 the Egg McMuffin nationwide. 927 00:39:54,292 --> 00:39:56,042 - [Gary] By the end of the decade, 928 00:39:56,042 --> 00:39:59,042 McDonald's accounts for 25% 929 00:39:59,042 --> 00:40:01,667 of all breakfasts consumed in the United States. 930 00:40:03,292 --> 00:40:06,792 - [Narrator] Today, McDonald's 27,000 drive-throughs 931 00:40:06,792 --> 00:40:11,750 account for 70% of their $130 billion in global sales. 932 00:40:12,833 --> 00:40:15,292 - [Bobby] What it took for the drive-through 933 00:40:15,292 --> 00:40:18,292 to achieve nationwide acceptance 934 00:40:18,292 --> 00:40:20,167 was the leader in the space. 935 00:40:20,167 --> 00:40:23,167 McDonald's to lead by example. 936 00:40:23,167 --> 00:40:24,875 - [Narrator] But none of this would be possible 937 00:40:24,875 --> 00:40:26,500 without the innovations of In-N-Out 938 00:40:26,500 --> 00:40:28,333 and Jack in the Box. 939 00:40:28,333 --> 00:40:31,500 - Jack in the Box is the unsung hero of the drive-through. 940 00:40:31,500 --> 00:40:33,667 It doesn't get the credit it deserves. 941 00:40:33,667 --> 00:40:37,250 - [Narrator] Today Jack in the Box has nearly 2,200 stores 942 00:40:37,250 --> 00:40:41,208 in 22 states with almost a billion in sales. 943 00:40:41,208 --> 00:40:44,750 - They are a handheld convenient food place. 944 00:40:44,750 --> 00:40:47,917 Quick, easy, tasty, and convenient. 945 00:40:47,917 --> 00:40:50,542 And when you combine that with the advent 946 00:40:50,542 --> 00:40:54,375 of creating a kind of mascot identity, 947 00:40:54,375 --> 00:40:56,750 Jack in the Box is unequivocally 948 00:40:56,750 --> 00:41:00,000 a little orange hatted clown faced pioneer. 949 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:01,542 [dramatic music] 950 00:41:01,542 --> 00:41:04,292 - [Stacy] Harry Snyder was a real iconoclast. 951 00:41:04,292 --> 00:41:08,083 The little device that he created for In-N-Out 952 00:41:08,083 --> 00:41:09,542 really sparked a revolution 953 00:41:09,542 --> 00:41:12,292 that I'm not even sure he ever understood himself. 954 00:41:12,292 --> 00:41:15,500 - [Narrator] Today, the family business continues its legacy 955 00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:19,833 with In-N-Out boasting 427 locations. 956 00:41:19,833 --> 00:41:22,125 - They've been able to exist 957 00:41:22,125 --> 00:41:23,375 even though they don't have this 958 00:41:23,375 --> 00:41:24,833 incredible nationwide market share 959 00:41:24,833 --> 00:41:27,583 because they have this homegrown brand loyalty. 960 00:41:27,583 --> 00:41:29,125 It is California cuisine. 961 00:41:29,125 --> 00:41:32,417 You know, it's baked in to the culture. 962 00:41:32,417 --> 00:41:35,667 - [Stacy] It is part of the myth of of Southern California, 963 00:41:35,667 --> 00:41:38,417 just like the Hollywood sign or the Palm Tree. 964 00:41:38,417 --> 00:41:42,792 And since not much has really changed with it, 965 00:41:42,792 --> 00:41:46,417 I feel like when you bite into a burger, 966 00:41:46,417 --> 00:41:49,375 kind of feel like you're biting into history. 967 00:41:49,375 --> 00:41:51,167 - [Narrator] The forward-thinking break-throughs 968 00:41:51,167 --> 00:41:55,042 of these brands has now extended beyond the restaurant, 969 00:41:55,042 --> 00:41:58,500 becoming the fabric of our daily routines. 970 00:41:58,500 --> 00:41:59,792 - [Bobby] The concept of the drive-through 971 00:41:59,792 --> 00:42:02,417 has expanded way past fast food. 972 00:42:02,417 --> 00:42:05,583 We're talking laundromats, and banks, 973 00:42:05,583 --> 00:42:08,417 drive-through medical testing facilities. 974 00:42:08,417 --> 00:42:11,042 Even liquor stores are using drive-throughs 975 00:42:11,042 --> 00:42:14,125 - In a world that puts evermore demands on us, 976 00:42:14,125 --> 00:42:17,875 the drive-through really does offer an opportunity 977 00:42:17,875 --> 00:42:20,542 to reclaim a part of our lives, 978 00:42:20,542 --> 00:42:21,625 'cause you can grab things, 979 00:42:21,625 --> 00:42:22,708 you can take it home, 980 00:42:22,708 --> 00:42:24,000 you can sit down with your family. 981 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:26,208 It changed the game for everyone.