In-N-Out Sues YouTube Prankster Over Inappropriate Stunts

The popular fast-food chain In-N-Out has filed a lawsuit against a YouTube content creator who impersonated an employee and made offensive remarks to customers. Bryan Arnett, with over 600,000 followers on social media, carried out the stunt at multiple Southern California locations on April 25, donning the company’s uniform to deceive diners.

The prank was performed on Easter when the restaurants were closed. Arnett was seen offering fake menus, making inappropriate comments—including suggesting that the restaurant served only gay people—and asking intrusive questions. He also engaged a friend to falsely claim a cockroach was found in an order and later pretended a condom had fallen into a meal.

The lawsuit, filed on June 20, alleges Arnett falsely represented the brand and defamed it through defamatory, racist, and lewd statements. The company highlighted remarks like suggesting the food contained cockroaches and condoms, and making racist comments such as asking if a customer wanted a “monkey burger” with a “black bun.” The chain condemns these actions as damaging to its reputation.

Arnett’s prior behavior included attempts to pay for strangers’ orders with pennies and posting fake “employee of the month” plaques. Following the legal action, he posted a response video on his YouTube channel, which has since been made private, claiming he was not worried about the lawsuit, stating, “whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen.”

Legal Actions and Consequences

In-N-Out is seeking a lifetime ban from its 418 locations nationwide, along with recovery of any profits Arnett made from his videos and potential damages. The company emphasizes that his conduct was offensive and harmful to its brand integrity.