Why Some In-N-Out Burger Locations Have 2 Crossed Palm Trees

From the stacked Double-Double cheeseburger to the infamous hand-cut french fries, even those who have never visited an In-N-Out can instantly recognize the brand. That's thanks to the fast food chain's successful branding — a strategy that goes far beyond its menu. Take the landscaping, for example: At nearly every In-N-Out location, you'll spot a pair of crossed palm trees, deliberately planted and associated with the chain since 1972.

While many might think that In-N-Out's crossed palms are a nod to the sunny California foliage where it was founded, the idea actually came from the founder's favorite movie: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." The 1963 film depicts a group of characters searching for treasure that is discovered under a group of palm trees that grew in a "W" formation. In-N-Out's founder loved the idea of his prized possession — In-N-Out restaurants, obviously — also being marked in such a way, and thus the crossing of palm trees was born.

In a way, this nod to a Hollywood blockbuster is still very Californian, which we love. This symbol has far outgrown In-N-Out's planters, with everything from restaurant awnings and interior wallpaper to store apparel touting the iconic trees. If you see someone rocking a hat or pair of socks with two crossed palms, you know that they've likely tasted the deliciousness that is an In-N-Out burger — after all, it's one of Reddit's top-ranked fast food burgers for good reason.

In-N-Out is very proud of the crossed palm trees that sit in front of most locations — and the company goes to great lengths to protect this symbol. The recognizable logo is a part of In-N-Out's trademark, which means other companies cannot use the same image (or one that too closely resembles it) to sell unassociated products. In 2019, the popular shoe brand Puma came under fire for releasing a line of "Drive Thru Shoes" with a similar red, white, and yellow color palette, as well as the iconic palm tree logo printed on shoelaces. Puma ended up being served a lawsuit for trademark infringement, as In-N-Out made it clear that this was not a collaboration between the two brands.

It isn't just the iconic palm trees that companies have tried to lovingly "borrow" from In-N-Out. The trademark extends to the chain's iconic yellow, neon arrow sign, as well as its distinct menu, verbiage and all. Restaurants that attempt to recreate the magic of In-N-Out a little too closely have been met with the burger chain's rather litigious team. For the time being, In-N-Out remains steadfast in its decision not to expand nationwide, so dedicated burger lovers will have to travel west for a taste of the real thing, or be content with their regional knock-offs — the burgers might get close to the real deal, but you won't see a glowing arrow guiding your way or two crossed palm trees anywhere near the drive-thru.