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In-N-Out's billionaire boss leaving California for Tennessee: ‘Doing business is not easy here'

In-N-Out's billionaire boss leaving California for Tennessee: ‘Doing business is not easy here'

To many in the state, In-N-Out Burger is a timeless California staple. But despite the company's deep roots in the Golden State, billionaire CEO Lynsi Snyder plans to move to the South.
Snyder, who was raised in Northern California, said she will be moving to Franklin, Tenn., during an appearance on political commentator Allie Beth Stuckey's 'Relatable' podcast Friday. The company's new Eastern headquarters and her family life were the catalysts for the relocation, she said.
'I really love living in Northern California, and I'm so grateful that I grew up there. … 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.
The majority of In-N-Out's stores will remain in California, she said during the interview. 'But it will be wonderful having an office out there, growing out there, being able to have people's family out there.'
The company announced its plans in 2023 to open offices and restaurants in Tennessee by 2026.
In-N-Out, which has dozens of restaurants in the Bay Area, has looked out of state for its most recent expansion pushes. It has opened restaurants in Texas, Idaho and Colorado since 2013. The company is also developing a massive Las Vegas outpost, SFGATE reported. (SFGATE and the Chronicle are both owned by Hearst, but operate separate newsrooms.)
During her appearance on the podcast, Snyder shot down the possibility of a mass move to the East Coast. Tennessee locations are possible, she explained, because the company's prospective locations in the state are within a close enough radius to its Texas processing facility.
'Florida has begged us, and we're still saying no. The East Coast states, we're still saying no,' said Snyder, 43.
The new Eastern offices aren't the only real estate moves In-N-Out is working on. The company is moving toward closing its Irvine offices by 2030, and consolidating workers at its Los Angeles area headquarters in Baldwin Park. Some may end up moving to the new facilities in Tennessee.
In the Bay Area, In-N-Out is continuing work on developing a location in South San Francisco's stretch of El Camino Real. The proposed location's plans include drive-through service and outdoor seating on a 1.5-acre site.
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