Few food chains are more beloved in California than In-N-Out Burger.
Whenever my family set out on a road trip, a stop at an In-N-Out Burger was a must. I always ordered a Double-Double, fries, and a chocolate shake.
So, for California, it is a disturbing sign of the times that the owner of the food chain has had enough of the Golden State’s inanity and is moving her family to Tennessee.
In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder specifically cited the challenges of raising a family and doing business in California as the reason for the exodus.
Snyder grew up in Northern California, before moving to Southern California. She has four children and is married to Sean Ellingston, who has a background in Christian ministry and mentoring.”We’re building an office in Franklin [Tennessee,] so I’m actually moving out there,” Snyder said on an episode of the podcast Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey that aired on Friday, per Fox 11.”There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here,” Snyder said. “Doing business is not easy here now.”Last year, the company closed a location in Oakland that had been operating for 18 years, citing crime issues that impacted customers and employees. It was the only location to have closed in its 77-year history. It currently operates more than 400 locations.
Part of the decision making could be the result of “long covid.” In-N-Out Burger stores were forced to shut down in California when they refused to play “vaccine police.”
If the owner of a highly successful food chain struggles to raise a family or run a business in the state, imagine how much harder it is for those with more modest means or owners of smaller operations.
Now there are some questions about whether the actual headquarters will be leaving California. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office insists the chain is simply establishing an eastern headquarters in Tennessee, while consolidating two California offices into a western headquarters.
In-N-Out Burger said it is closing a corporate office in Orange County and will consolidate its west coast headquarters in Baldwin Park, the city in Los Angeles County where the fast food chain was founded. The company also plans to open a new regional office in Tennessee to support a planned expansion in the southeast.In-N-Out said last week that it plans to consolidate its two Southern California offices with the aim of closing the Irvine location in 2028.
But this attempt was met with ridicule.
It seems to me the smart strategy would be to gradually “transition” to a stronger East Coast presence — getting ahead of the growing wave of people fleeing California. That may well be the long-term plan.
In-N-Out will open locations in Tennessee and other states that can be reached from the company’s beef facility in Texas. That suggests expansion into Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. But not much further.“Florida has begged us, and we’re still saying no,” Snyder said. “The East Coast states, we’re still saying no.“We’re able to reach Tennessee from our Texas warehouse. We’ll have a warehouse, but not do our own meat there, so we’ll be able to deliver from Texas. So Texas can reach some other states.”
I believe In-N-Out Burger will find much success out east — where there are many former Californians who miss its burgers, fries, and shakes.
How long the “western headquarters” and remaining California stores stay open likely depends on how challenging it remains for In-N-Out Burger to do business in the state.
I am not hopeful. But at least the new stores are opening in states I am considering for my future headquarters.
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