In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder has rejected fears that the burger chain will leave California after moving her family to Tennessee, calling such a move “the dumbest business decision ever”.
Snyder said the company’s Californian identity remained central to its future, insisting that the state where her grandparents opened the first In-N-Out restaurant in 1948 would always be part of its story.
“This is where we started. It’s where we are now, and it’s where we will always be,” she said in an interview with actor Terry Crews.
In-N-Out has retained a devoted following as it has expanded beyond California, with former residents of the state making trips to new restaurants when branches open elsewhere in the US.
However, Snyder’s decision to relocate her family to Tennessee prompted speculation that the company could eventually follow. She previously said that raising children in California was difficult and that “doing business is not easy” there either.
Addressing the rumours, Snyder said: “There were rumors about ‘they’re gonna close all their California stores.’ I’m like what where did this even come from? That’s unimaginable. I can’t even imagine that — dumbest business decision ever.”
She said In-N-Out was continuing to grow in California, with “lots of stores” planned in other cities across the state. The company maintains headquarters in both California and Tennessee.
The chain has also expanded into Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington and Tennessee. Snyder said Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma were being considered, while New Mexico was also in the works.
In-N-Out has faced tensions with California authorities, including during the pandemic when it refused to comply with a request that customers show proof of vaccination before making purchases.
The company also raised prices after California introduced higher minimum wages for fast-food workers in 2024.
Snyder, whose fortune is estimated at 7.3 billion dollars, said the business would continue to expand cautiously without compromising the quality of its food or the values established by her grandparents. She added that In-N-Out would not be able to meet every request for a new restaurant.
She described her family’s move to Tennessee as “kind of a God thing”, saying she had initially wanted to relocate to Colorado because she loved the mountains.
But after her husband suggested Tennessee, Snyder said that “something just kind of clicked”. She added: “I felt it and then started looking at it, just praying, and I’m like ‘I think you’re right. I think that’s where we’re supposed to go.’”
