Cult fast food chain In-N-Out Burger is getting served after it was revealed the restaurant chain donated $25,000 to the California Republican Party.
Journalist Gabe Schneider found the filing this week and posted it on Twitter:
California Democratic Party chairman Eric Bauman called for an In-N-Out boycott:
The late CEO, Rich Snyder, was an evangelical Christian and supporter of Republican candidates, and current president Lynsi Snyder is also devout. Like cult chain Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out doesn’t make its founders’ Christian values a secret, per se. Customers just might be so focused on their Animal Style burgers that they don’t notice the references to Bible quotes printed on the wrappers.
However, it’s not clear that the company’s current leadership is nearly as aligned with the Republicans as that of Chick-fil-A, a company that has backed organizations that restrict LGBT rights. According to campaign finance filings, In-N-Out Burger also donated $30,000 last year and $50,000 this year to Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy, a political action committee that supports business-friendly Democratic candidates.
In-N-Out’s reputation for fantastic burgers is bolstered by its policy of paying more than minimum wage and offering competitive benefits for fast food workers. While the simple menu offers only burgers, fries and shakes, the chain’s secret menu is legendary. Founded in 1948 and still family-owned, In-N-Out only operates in six western states—Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Utah—but has Colorado in its sights.
Correction, Aug. 31, 2018: An earlier version of this article mischaracterized Chick-fil-A’s actions with regard to LGBT rights. While Chick-fil-A has offered financial support for organizations that oppose gay marriage, and some of its top executives have made comments in support of that position, it as a corporation has stated only that it treats “every person with honor, dignity, and respect—regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.”
