In-N-Out CEO Joins Wave of Business Leaders Exiting California

Lynsi Snyder, CEO and heiress of In-N-Out Burger, is relocating her family from California to Tennessee, aligning with a broader pattern of business leaders leaving the state over regulatory and operational concerns. The move comes as In-N-Out prepares a significant Southern expansion, including 35 new restaurants and a regional headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee according to KTLA.

In a recent appearance on the Relatable podcast hosted by Allie Beth Stuckey, Snyder, 43, said, “There’s a lot of really great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here.” While the majority of In-N-Out locations remain in California, she said the Tennessee expansion represents new growth. “It will be wonderful having an office in Tennessee — growing out there,” she added.

Snyder pointed to California’s political and regulatory climate as contributing factors. She referenced a 2021 incident when two Bay Area locations were temporarily shut down for refusing to enforce vaccine checks on indoor diners. “That was definitely where we held the line — we’re not policing our customers,” she said. “Maybe we should have just pushed even harder on some of that stuff and dealt with all the legal backlash.”

In-N-Out, founded in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park, currently operates more than 280 restaurants across eight states: California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and Idaho. The decision to expand into Tennessee was made possible by the ability to deliver fresh, unfrozen ground beef from the company’s Texas processing facility. “We’re able to reach Tennessee from our Texas warehouse,” Snyder said. “Texas can reach some other states, you know?”

Although she hinted at further growth in the South, Snyder ruled out any immediate expansion to the East Coast. “Florida has begged us and we’re still saying no,” she said. “The East Coast states — we’re still saying no.”

As part of a broader internal shift, In-N-Out will also close its Irvine corporate office by 2030, consolidating operations at the company’s original Baldwin Park headquarters.