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In a recent study, In-N-Out emerges as the leader in employee satisfaction among the country’s major restaurant chains.
The burger chain, rooted in California, has ranked first for the tenth consecutive year, as analyzed by William Blair, an investment banking and financial services firm.
The annual report spans 11 years and is built on over 530,000 reviews of almost 90 restaurant brands, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.
This year, 91% of In-N-Out employees would suggest their job to a friend, a 5% increase from the previous year, according to QSR Magazine.
The top three chains when it comes to employee satisfaction remained unchained from 2024 to 2025, with In-N-Out followed by Raising Cane’s and Dutch Bros. Hardee’s was the lowest-ranked brand at 39%.
See the top 10 below:
| Rank | Chain | Recommendation Percentage |
| 1. | In-N-Out | 91% |
| 2. | Raising Cane’s | 82% |
| 3. | Dutch Bros | 78% |
| 4. | Chuy’s | 78% |
| 5. | Peet’s Coffee & Tee | 76% |
| 6. | Caribou Coffee | 74% |
| 7. | Lazy Dog | 74% |
| 8. | Portillo’s | 73% |
| 9. | Longhorn Steakhouse | 73% |
| 10. | Chick-fil-A | 72% |
In-N-Out is the only chain that has been in the top 10 every year for a decade, according to William Blair’s analysis.
So what is it that’s making workers at In-N-Out, Raising Cane’s and others feel good about their job?
Getting a raise isn’t everything, according to the study. In fact, the authors found that compensation and benefits had the lowest correlation of six measured attributes, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.
The top factors were instead culture/values, senior management and work/life balance.
