If you grew up or currently live in Southern California, In-n-Out Burger needs no introduction. The only news you need to know about the cult burger chain is when one is opening up near you. Or you may have heard about how Paris Hilton was busted one night for drunk driving -- on her way to get an In-N-Out burger.

But with the economic meltdown, In-N-Out Burger has become news in another way. While many popular fast-food chains have been suffering the consequences of over-leverage and over-reaching growth, In-N-Out has thrived by doing things the old fashioned way: Refusing to expand nationally, opening only a few stores every year, and giving customers what they want (and not what focus groups tell them we want). At In-N-Out, it's all about the burgers.

WalletPop editor Julie Tilsner spoke with Stacy Perman, author of the best-selling In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks all the Rules, to dissect what makes the chain so different from all the others.