In-N-Out Burger CEO Lynsi Snyder sets record straight on move to Tennessee

LOS ANGELES - Is In-N-Out Burger leaving California? 

President and owner Lynsi Snyder is clearing the air after recently-made comments that suggested the heiress is relocating the company from California to Tennessee. 

‘We're not leaving'

What they're saying:

In a three-minute-long social media video posted late Monday, Snyder, who is the granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder, clarified what was apparently misconstrued during her recent appearance on the "Relatable" podcast. 

"We’re not moving In-N-Out Burger’s corporate headquarters. In addition to our Baldwin Park office, we're expanding with an Eastern Territory office in Tennessee to support our growth," she wrote. "We're not leaving California, or leaving our roots behind. Each one of our locations is here to stay."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In-N-Out President moving family out of California

"Moving into Tennessee provides our In-N-Out Associates wonderful opportunities to buy a home and raise a family and be a part of our expansion in a different part of the U.S.," she added. "Where I raise my family has nothing to do with my love and appreciation for our customers in California."

"I'm very proud of where In-N-Out started, and anyone who knows me knows how often I talk about our beginnings and how our customers here in California brought us to where we are today," she explained.

The backstory:

Last week, Snyder and "Relatable" podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey discussed why the In-N-Out heiress is moving her family out of the Golden STate.

"We're building an office in Franklin [Tennessee,] so I'm actually moving out there," Snyder said.

Snyder, whose net worth is an estimated $7.3 billion according to Fortune, who grew up in Northern California before moving to Southern California, said part of her decision came down to her family.

"There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here. The bulk of our stores are still going to be here in California, but it will be wonderful having an office … growing out there," she said. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: This California burger chain is America's favorite, according to Yelp

"It's tough here in California, and this doesn't have to do with my love or loyalty to the state and our customers," she added. "But I love our associates and I [want to] offer them this."

Snyder also talked about the state's implementation of rules surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closure of two In-N-Out locations in 2021 for not checking vaccine status. 

Additionally, Snyder, who got her start at In-N-Out at age 17, called attention to the increase in crime, which prompted the closure of its Oakland location last October. It was the first time the company had ever shut down a restaurant.

She also discussed the strict COVID-19 restrictions that were put in place in San Francisco during the onset of the pandemic.

"There were so many pressures and just hoops we were having to jump through," she said. "You’ve got to do this, you have to wear a mask, you've got to put this plastic thing up between us and our customers, and it was really terrible, you know.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In-N-Out removes ingredients from some menu items amid FDA push to eliminate synthetic food dyes

"And I look back and I’m like, ‘Man, maybe we should have just pushed [back] even harder on some of that stuff and dealt with all of the legal backlash.'"

Dig deeper:

Earlier this year, In-N-Out also announced that it would be moving its corporate headquarters from Irvine back to Baldwin Park, where the restaurant was founded in 1948. While the original plan was to close the Irvine office by 2029, Snyder said in her recent interview that In-N-Out would be closing the Irvine office by 2030, instead.

Last year, the burger chain confirmed to FOX 11's sister station KTVU it had raised menu prices across California in response to the state's new minimum wage law that went into effect.

"On April 1st, we raised our prices incrementally to accompany a pay raise for all of the Associates working in our California restaurants. The price increase was also necessary to maintain our quality standards," the company said in a statement. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In-N-Out burger heiress fought 'toe-to-toe' to keep costs down amid minimum wage hike

Snyder said she fought hard to keep prices down.

"I was sitting in VP meetings going toe-to-toe saying, ‘We can’t raise the prices that much, we can’t,'" Snyder said," adding that she felt "an obligation to look out for our customers."

Big picture view:

In-N-Out was founded by Harry Snyder in Baldwin Park in 1948 as California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand. 

The chain then expanded to locations across the Golden State and in 1992, In-N-Out opened its first restaurant outside California when it opened in Nevada. 

Snyder took over the chain 15 years ago.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lynsi Snyder: The woman behind In-N-Out

In-N-Out currently operates more than 400 locations across eight states - California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho.

What's next:

Snyder said that the majority of In-N-Out restaurants would still be in California. In May, the company announced seven new restaurants were coming across the U.S., with four of them in California. Other locations are being planned in Washington and New Mexico.

With Snyder moving out east, she speculated in the podcast about potential future locations elsewhere.

"Florida has begged us and we're still saying no. The East Coast states, we're saying no. We are able to reach Tennessee from our Texas warehouse," Snyder said, adding that, "Texas can reach some other states."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: In-N-Out Burger relocating its Orange County headquarters

While the beloved California burger chain may be expanding elsewhere, Snyder has previously said selling the company would never be an option. 

"I wouldn't franchise ever!" she said.

 

In-N-OutBusinessMoneyConsumerLifestyleTennesseeInstastories