In-N-Out Lost to Five Guys in a National Food Poll So It’s Definitely Time for #Calexit

A yearly consumer poll shows Americans are mistaken in their stated belief that Five Guys is better than In-N-Out. Just when you thought the state of affairs in this country could sink no lower. For the past two years, the California-based burger chain naturally won the Burger Restaurant category in The Harris Poll, but this year, it was unseated by the rapidly expanding D.C.-based brand Five Guys, now with 1,500 locations. The results of the poll are clear: It’s time for California to leave the rest of the country as soon as possible to enjoy the In-N-Out we alone can fully appreciate.

The Harris EquiTrend Brand Equity poll gauges consumers’ impressions of brands from Dunkin’ Donuts to Chick-fil-A. It’s a 30-minute poll given to 102,617 Americans, who are asked to respond to the names of brands with their “Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration.” These Americans came to some curious conclusions. The Cheesecake Factory won the Casual Dining Restaurant category, Papa John’s Pizza was number one for Pizza Chain, and Moe’s Southwest Grill won out in the Fast Casual Mexican Restaurant category.

The rest of the burger category went in this order: Shake Shack, Wendy’s, Culver’s, Whataburger, McDonald’s, SONIC America’s Drive-In, Smashburger and Steak ‘n Shake. “The burger brand category has become less fragmented, as regional brands expand and become available in more parts of the country," Joan Sinopoli, vice president of brand solutions at The Harris Poll, said in a statement. "This is certainly the case with Five Guys, who has shed its 'small regional player' designation as it expands its footprint and marketing budget along with its fandom, which is a tremendous contributor to brand equity."

I’ll take a double double at the “small regional player” any day, thanks. #Calexit while we can.

• 21 Chefs on What They Order at In-N-Out [Eater LA]
• In-N-Out just lost its title as America's favorite burger chain [Business Insider]