In-N-Out Expands to Tennessee, Cites California Challenges

Lynsi Snyder, president and heiress of In-N-Out Burger, announced she is relocating her family from California to Franklin, Tennessee, citing high costs, regulatory challenges, and California's recent minimum wage increase as reasons for the move. In-N-Out will maintain most of its restaurants in California but is expanding eastward, including opening a new regional office in Tennessee. The company plans to close its Irvine headquarters by 2030 and consolidate West Coast operations in Baldwin Park. Despite demand from the East Coast, In-N-Out has no immediate plans to expand there, focusing instead on Tennessee and nearby states. Snyder also highlighted the company's resistance to enforcing customer mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relocation and expansion underscore broader concerns about California's business climate and signal a significant strategic shift for the chain.