Buzz
Many fast-food chains boast recognizable symbols, such as McDonald’s golden arches or the Taco Bell bell. For In-N-Out, the signature is more understated and natural. At nearly all of their 300+ locations, you’ll find pairs of palm trees crossing to form an X. This deliberate design begs the question: What’s the story behind it?
Like many branding elements, its origins lie with the founder. Harry Snyder launched the first In-N-Out in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948. By 1961, uniquely angled palm trees began appearing near many of the restaurants. According to the company’s history, this imagery was inspired by Snyder’s fondness for the 1963 comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. The film’s plot revolves around a hidden treasure marked by a W, later revealed to be beneath four palm trees shaped like the letter. Snyder saw each In-N-Out as his own treasure, choosing to mark them with a simpler X.
To achieve the iconic X shape, the palm trees are planted at an angle and secured together until they grow sturdy enough to maintain the form independently.
As the chain grows, preserving its iconic visual symbol becomes increasingly difficult. States like Utah and Colorado, with climates unsuitable for palm trees, pose unique challenges. In Colorado, the company even attempted using heated cables to warm the tree bases and trunks to support their growth.
