
In-N-Out's billionaire boss leaving California for Tennessee: ‘Doing business is not easy here'
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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San Francisco Chronicle
24 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘We're not leaving': In-N-Out responds to rumors about California exit
In-N-Out Burger is staying put in California, despite CEO Lynsi Snyder's personal decision to relocate her family to Tennessee, the company said Tuesday. The popular fast food chain reaffirmed that its corporate headquarters will remain in the state, following a wave of speculation sparked by CEO Lynsi Snyder's announcement that she and her family are relocating to Tennessee. 'We're not moving In-N-Out Burger's corporate headquarters,' read a joint statement from Snyder and the company. 'We're not leaving California, or leaving our roots behind. Each one of our locations is here to stay.' The move to Tennessee, the company said, is part of a previously announced expansion that includes opening an 'Eastern Territory' office in Franklin, Tenn., by 2026. Snyder will reside there with her family, but the majority of the company's operations will remain in California. In-N-Out is consolidating its West Coast offices in Baldwin Park — home to the original 1948 location — and phasing out its Irvine office by 2030, a year later than initially planned. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office also pushed back against the rumors. 'For those interested in the facts, rather than fiction, In-N-Out is expanding East — creating a second HQ in Tennessee,' the office posted on X. 'In-N-Out continues to expand in California — adding more locations in the Golden State this year than any other state.' Speculation about the company's future in California intensified after Snyder appeared on conservative pundit Allie Beth Stuckey's 'Relatable' podcast last week, where she aired personal frustrations about life and business in the state. '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.' She also referenced a COVID-era clash with San Francisco officials, when one location was temporarily shut down for refusing to enforce vaccine mandates. 'We're not policing our customers,' Synder said. 'I'm very proud of where In-N-Out started,' she wrote. 'Anyone who knows me knows how often I talk about our beginnings and how our Customers here in California helped bring us to where we are today.'


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Californians turn on In-N-Out's billionaire chief after she revealed plans to move company's HQ out of state
Californians are not relishing In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder's decision to move the beloved burger chain's headquarters from California to Tennessee, with some even calling for a boycott in response. Snyder, 43, announced on the 'Relatable' podcast that In-N-Out's current headquarters in Irvine will close by 2030 as part of a long-term plan to consolidate operations in Baldwin Park, where the company began in 1948. A new co-headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, is also set to open in 2026, where Snyder will be based. 'There's a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here,' Snyder told podcast host and conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, adding that the company is looking to expand into the South. The Independent has contacted In-N-Out for comment. Customers in the Golden State are furious on social media. Many pointed out that Tennessee's lack of state income tax and lower minimum wage may be influencing In-N-Out's move. Privately owned by the Snyder family, the Christian-run company has faced past criticism for anti-LBGTQ and anti-vaccine views, though previous boycott efforts have had little financial impact. This time, one Reddit user said in a thread, 'Time to boycott. If you really hate business in California, then California hates doing business with you.' 'Uhhhh... 'hard to do business?'' someone else questioned Snyder's explanation. 'How is it that she's worth several BILLION dollars, most of which is from us??? 'This is an idiotic mindset,' a third person sounded off. ' In-N-Out provides great job opportunities for the people of California. If you did this to everyone, California would be even more in shambles than it already is. California is the problem, not In-N-Out.' Another added about the billionaire, 'California has treated their family and their business very, very well. This is simply ungrateful and shameful.' Others suggested it's time to focus on local California burger joints rather than a chain that serves 'literally the saltiest burgers I have ever had.' 'The burger is good, but not enough to put up with lining her pockets anymore,' one person agreed. Smash burgers are everywhere now, or I can make them at home. Expansion also puts into question their vow that they couldn't provide the same quality if they left the West Coast. Not worth it to go.' Solve the daily Crossword