BUSINESS

Keizer insurance agent plans to ‘donate’ his spot in burger line

Farmers Insurance Agent Gino Corridori has been saving a space in line at In-N-Out since Tuesday night, but he’s looking for some high-flying students to take his place. In-N-Out plans to open Tuesday, Dec. 12, at Keizer Station.

Fourteen hours into his wait to be one of the first customers at Keizer’s In-N-Out, Gino Corridori was riding a caffeine high but it was for a good cause.

Corridori, a Keizer-based Farmers Insurance agent, pulled up to In-N-Out at 10 p.m. Tuesday night and was somewhat surprised to find there was only one other person waiting. The other customer wanted to be first through the drive-thru, but Corridori wanted to make something special happen for the first ones in the door.

“It was hard spending the night in the truck, but it’s not that hard. Getting up in the morning, getting yourself together and then getting on a bus that takes you to school where you are making straight As is much harder,” Corridori said.

Corridori was offering the first five spaces in line to students who showed up and provided a report card proving they were making straight As in school. By noon on Wednesday, he’d only had three takers, but he expected more to come after school let out for the day.

“If we end up with more than five, we’ll raffle off the five spots at 6 p.m. tonight, but I’ve gotten some gift cards from Keizer Sub Shop to offer those who don’t make the cut,” he said. Not long after talking with the paper, Salem’s Bo & Vine donated additional gift cards.

While the stunt doubles-doubles as a guerilla marketing campaign for his business, Corridori is no stranger to the Salem-Keizer food scene. He is also the founder of the EatSalem blog. In that role, he’s been encouraging local restaurants to feed off the energy created by In-N-Out.

“Salem and Keizer has had a lot of really good growth in the food scene and this is our time to put that in front of the people coming here for In-N-Out. I want them to be known for the good stuff that they do,” he said.

Corridori got the idea to offer up the first five spots in line to students literally a few hours before he drove down to from Portland after having dinner with his daughter. When he discovered there wasn’t anyone else in line for take out, he called his significant other, Molly, to let her know of his plan. She offered her support and brought him a change of clothes.

For a while, he was concerned that waiting in line for double-doubles might actually drive his own customers away, but he’s come around to viewing it as a way of living the Keizer motto.

“I’ve been blown away by the charity and the spirit of volunteerism of this city and it deserves good things – especially the kids,” Corridori said.