Almost everyone living in Las Vegas has tried In-N-Out Burger.

When I crave a burger, I usually think of In-N-Out before McDonald's or Burger King.

However, there's one thing that annoys me every time I go to In-N-Out: the drive-thru line.

Seriously, how many cars are lined up just to get one burger? Whether it's lunchtime or late in the evening, cars are always queued up. Sometimes the line extends outside the parking lot.

At first, I thought it was impressive that people would wait so long just for a burger.

But after seeing some data comparing the sales of American fast-food chains, my perspective changed.

One In-N-Out Location Makes $6 Million a Year?

Based on 2025 sales data, In-N-Out generated about $2.6 billion in revenue with around 430 locations.

If you do the math, that averages out to about $6 million per location annually. Converted to our currency, that's over 8 billion won depending on the exchange rate.

On a daily basis, that's about $16,500.

This means they make this much revenue selling burgers, fries, and drinks in a single day. Of course, that's revenue, not profit. After deducting employee salaries, ingredient costs, and rent, the actual profit is much lower, but it's still an impressive figure.

When you visit the store, it doesn't seem like such a strange number.

Cars keep coming in, employees take orders outside, and the kitchen is continuously making burgers.

It's literally a burger factory. Haha.

Twice the Revenue per Location Compared to Panda Express

Interestingly, when compared to Panda Express, the numbers tell a different story.

Panda Express operates over 2,600 locations in the U.S. and generates about $6.4 billion in annual revenue.

In total revenue, it's much larger than In-N-Out.

However, when you calculate average revenue per location, the story changes.

Panda Express averages about $2.5 million per location, while In-N-Out averages around $6 million. That's more than double.

Of course, the types of food and operational methods differ, so a direct comparison isn't perfect.

But looking at the cars lined up in front of In-N-Out, you can somewhat guess why there's such a difference.

In-N-Out's Limited Menu is Actually an Advantage

If you look at the In-N-Out menu, it's really simple.

Burgers, cheeseburgers, double-doubles, fries, and drinks. That's basically it.

Sure, there are hidden menu items like Animal Style, but the basic structure is very straightforward.

On the other hand, when you go to other fast-food places, the menu can be overwhelming, making it hard to decide what to eat.

At In-N-Out, there's no need for that.

I usually order a double-double with Animal Style fries. Sometimes I add a milkshake.

This allows customers to decide quickly, and employees can repeatedly make similar items, which increases operational efficiency.

Of course, having fewer menu items doesn't automatically lead to higher sales. Ultimately, people need to like those items for it to work.

The Drive-Thru Line is an Advertisement in Itself

When passing by In-N-Out in Las Vegas, you often see long lines of cars waiting.

But if you think about it, that line itself is a tremendous advertisement.

From a passerby's perspective, you wonder how delicious the food must be for people to wait like that.

I've had that experience myself.

I originally went out to eat something else, but seeing the line at In-N-Out suddenly made me crave a burger.

Human psychology is funny. When you see others waiting in line, you feel like you should eat there too. Haha.

Of course, a long line isn't always a good thing. If the wait gets too long, some customers might just go elsewhere.

However, at In-N-Out, even during busy times, employees walk between cars to take orders in advance.

This way, when you reach the window, the food can be delivered a bit faster.

Having many customers is important, but how efficiently you handle those customers seems to be a crucial factor in determining revenue.

It's Amazing That a Family-Owned Business Has Grown This Much

In-N-Out is a family-owned business that started in California in 1948.

It is still owned by the Snyder family and operates primarily through company-owned stores without recruiting typical franchisees.

This is personally fascinating to me.

Usually, when a business is doing well, you'd think they would want to rapidly expand with franchises, but In-N-Out has expanded relatively slowly.

Instead of just increasing the number of locations, they have maintained a strategy of directly managing food quality and operations.

Las Vegas has many tourists and countless burger joints.

Yet, In-N-Out remains popular. Locations near the Strip are even sought out by tourists.

Honestly, there are so many burger places in America. There's Shake Shack, Five Guys, and countless unknown gourmet burger spots.

Yet, In-N-Out has created a solid fan base without being an expensive premium burger.

Ultimately, Revenue is Determined at the Register

When you see the figure of $6 million in annual revenue per location, it's hard to grasp.

But visiting an In-N-Out drive-thru on a Friday evening makes it a bit clearer.

There are fifteen cars in front and another ten coming in behind. People are lined up inside the store too.

Imagine those cars continuously coming in all day.

You might wonder how they make so much money selling burgers for just a few dollars each, but ultimately, it's the accumulation of countless orders that generates that revenue.

Sometimes, while waiting in line at In-N-Out, I think about just going home because it feels like I've been waiting too long.

But as my turn gets closer, I can't leave.

After waiting this long, it feels unfair to give up now. Haha.

And once I take a bite of my burger, I feel good again.

This is why In-N-Out seems to be doing so well.

In the end, the reason for high revenue per location seems to be much simpler than complex business theories.

It's about selling food that people love at a reasonable price and making sure those people keep coming back.

Today, cars will likely be lined up at the In-N-Out drive-thru somewhere in Las Vegas.

And I might find myself in that line this weekend.

Oh, just thinking about it makes me crave a double-double. Haha.