For more than 75 years, In-N-Out Burger has been a pillar of California fast-food culture, its Double-Doubles and palm tree logos becoming fixtures of the West Coast landscape. But now, the family-owned chain is making a pivot eastward, with billionaire owner and Chief Executive Lynsi Snyder announcing her own departure from the Golden State.
“There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here,” Snyder said during a recent appearance on the “Relatable” podcast, hosted by conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey.
The move represents a seismic shift for the leader of the brand. Currently operating more than 400 locations across eight states — California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, Texas and Idaho — In-N-Out has long thrived on being the burger chain you couldn’t find everywhere.
“I like that we’re sought after when someone’s coming into town. I like that we’re unique. that we’re not on every corner,” Snyder told Forbes in 2018. “You put us in every state, and it takes away some of its luster.”
But times, and Snyder’s position, have changed. The company announced plans in January 2023 to establish a corporate office in Franklin, Tenn., by 2026. In California, the company is consolidating its corporate operations to Baldwin Park, the chain’s birthplace.
The migration reflects a broader corporate exodus from California, with businesses and some billionaires leaving. Tesla, Charles Schwab and Chevron are among the companies that have moved, citing regulatory challenges, operational costs and policy disagreements.
During the podcast, Snyder discussed elements of California policy that make the state hard to operate in, specifically referencing pandemic-era restrictions as particularly challenging.
In-N-Out started in 1948 when Harry and Esther Snyder opened their first location on a small piece of land in Baldwin Park. With little money, they created what would become the first drive-through burger chain.
From those humble beginnings, the chain grew into a part of Southern California mythology, attracting devoted fans from Michelin-starred chefs to celebrities such as Julia Child, who kept a map of all In-N-Out locations in her purse.
Harry and Esther Snyder’s granddaughter Lynsi became president in 2010 at age 27, making her one of America’s youngest billionaires. Under her leadership, she has largely followed the path set down by her grandparents, maintaining the company’s founding principles and her grandfather’s own motto: “Keep it simple, do one thing and do it the best you can.”
Although at one point Snyder said the company wouldn’t expand further east than Texas, her views have changed. She told Stuckey that “the bulk of our stores are still going to be here in California.” The relocation of both corporate operations and the CEO signals a fundamental change in the company’s center of gravity.
“It will be wonderful having an office out there, growing out there, and being able to have the family and other people’s families out there,” Snyder said, though she maintains limits on expansion.
“Florida has begged us, and we’re still saying no,” she said on the podcast. “The East Coast states, we’re still saying no.”
In-N-Out did not respond to a request for comment.
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