In-N-Out to Stay Private, GM Says
An In-N-Out Burger executive said Thursday that the Irvine hamburger chain is “firmly committed” to remaining privately owned and is following a succession plan in the wake of its chief executive’s unexpected death last week.
“Tragedy is what pulls us together,” said Mark Taylor, general manager of operations and son-in-law of H. Guy Snyder, who died Friday evening at 48, apparently of natural causes. With a veteran executive team handling operations at the 140-store chain, he said, “nothing really changes.”
“The whole team will continue to work as we have been,” Taylor said. “We’ve dealt with tragedy before, and we always come out even stronger.”
Six years ago, Snyder’s brother, Richard, who then was chief executive, died in a private plane crash with two In-N-Out executives and a crew of two. His mother, Esther Snyder, who founded the company in 1948 with her husband, Harry, took over until her other son was ready to assume the duties.
After Guy Snyder’s death, the reins were turned over once again to the family matriarch, now 78, as questions arose about the company’s ability to continue as a family-owned operation. Industry experts say the company is well-run and would be a gem for a number of suitors that would like to buy it.
But Taylor, 35, the only other family member working at In-N-Out, said the family wants to retain control and that Esther Snyder will remain active in day-to-day operations.
“Don’t let her age fool you,” he said. “She is as sharp as a tack. She is the hardest working Snyder there ever was. She remains the president and is our leader and has all of our support.”
He declined to discuss any details of the company’s succession plan. He praised Carl Van Fleet, saying the company’s vice president of operations is “a real good leader who is well-known in the industry.”
Taylor said the company plans to continue to expand slowly, adding up to 10 more locations in the next year.
“In-N-Out has always done things their way,” he said. “What that means is we break the rules that traditional companies follow and we don’t have to answer to shareholders. That’s why we are going to stay private and family-owned.”
Taylor said a smooth transition should be guaranteed because regional managers have been with the company 30 years; divisional managers, more than 25 years; and store managers, an average of 13 years.
Restaurant consultant Janet Lowder said such retention is unheard of in the fast-food industry. “They maintain their employee base and keep good people there by treating them like family,” she said.
Taylor called his father-in-law “a fantastic leader who always told me to focus on the people in the company, particularly the youngsters working in the stores.”
