The Person Behind In-N-Out's Beloved Double-Double Burger

California-born In-N-Out Burger is among the best American burger chains and a favorite fast-food spot of various celebrity chefs, like Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay. The chain's iconic Double-Double Burger is Ramsay's go-to In-N-Out order, and he likes the sandwich Animal Style, which means the beef patties are cooked in mustard, the onions are grilled, and a pickle and an extra smearing of the chain's Spread are added. But this favorite burger of the "Hell's Kitchen" star and countless other diners might not exist on the menu today were it not for one man: an In-N-Out employee of 54 years named Bob Lang Sr.

In the franchise's early days — before rival chains like Burger King encouraged patrons to "have it their way" by placing special orders that deviated from the standard menu items — some customers began ordering customized burgers with double cheese and double patties. Somewhere along the line, the creation gained the nickname "Double-Double," but it wasn't an official part of the In-N-Out menu — just something rogue patrons learned they could get if they asked for it.

Lang became the youngest-ever In-N-Out restaurant manager at age 19, and when In-N-Out opened its sixth store in 1966, he took the initiative of officially adding the Double-Double to that restaurant's menu. The sign painter who created the drive-thru menus at In-N-Out's locations was Lang's brother-in-law, so influencing a signage addition was easy for the young manager. When company founder Harry Snyder learned of it, he was enthusiastic and decided to make the sandwich a permanent part of the menu at his other sites, as well. Thus, a classic was born.

Because of formerly off-menu options like the Double-Double, In-N-Out Burger became a pioneer of the secret menu concept. So, in a way, Bob Lang Sr. was an innovative force behind the secret menu movement as well.

The legendary Animal Style option was also born out of the 1960s, when surfers hitting up In-N-Out on their way home from the beach would ask for burgers in what we call "Animal Style" today. The name reportedly came about because the clean-cut restaurant workers waiting on the rowdy surfers referred to the youths as "animals."

Lang served out his full career at In-N-Out Burger, holding positions that included division manager and QFC (quality, friendliness, and customer service) evaluator. He was also tasked with writing the very first official In-N-Out company handbook, and he was among the first employees to receive a Harry Snyder Award for outstanding service to the company. In Lang's retirement years, he occasionally taught courses at In-N-Out University, the company's employee training facility for entry-level managers.

Lang's devotion to the burger chain was passed on to his son, Robert Lang Jr., who, like his dad, started out as a bottom-tier In-N-Out employee and worked his way up. Lang Jr. began working in the kitchen of one of the restaurants in the 1970s and, just like his father, ended up spending his career with the company. He became In-N-Out's executive vice president of operations, exceeding even his father's rank, and retired from the franchise just like his dad.