Billionaire In-N-Out Burger heiress Lynsi Snyder fired back at critics who called for a boycott of the popular fast-food joint after she revealed she was moving her family from California to Tennessee.
“Where I raise my family has nothing to do with my love and appreciation for our customers in California,” Snyder said on Instagram Monday.
Snyder doubled down on her decision to move out of the Golden State, shut down an office in Irvine, Calif., and open a new 100,000-square-foot office building in Franklin, Tenn., just south of Nashville.
“This is part of a healthy plan for our growth and also, you know, there’s so many opportunities for people to own homes in Tennessee and even some of the surrounding states that we could possibly end up in,” Snyder said.
“It’s tough here in California and this doesn’t have to do with my love or loyalty to the state and our customers. But I love our associates and I would love to offer them this…. the dream of a family and a home is more feasible for them there.”
Snyder insisted, “We never forget our roots,” and reminded betrayed burger lovers that In-N-Out’s corporate headquarters will still be based in California.
“We’re not moving In-N-Out Burger’s corporate headquarters,” Snyder added. “In addition to our Baldwin Park office, we’re expanding with an Eastern Territory office in Tennessee to support our growth.”
Snyder, who has served as the company’s president since 2010, sparked online backlash when she admitted that raising a family and “doing business” wasn’t “easy” in California.
She discussed “so many pressures and hoops” the company had to “jump through,” including crime and previous coronavirus restrictions — while she expressed excitement about moving to Tennessee, which has no state income tax and affordable housing.
“It will be wonderful having an office out there, growing out there and being able to have the family and other people’s families out there,” the married mother of four told Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” podcast on July 19.
Some customers accused Snyder of turning her back on the state that built In-N-Out Burger, which was founded by Snyder’s grandparents Harry and Esther Snyder in 1948.
“Time to boycott in n out,” a social media user wrote on X.
“This sounds so ridiculous and tone deaf,” another X user commented. “The California economy helped her family become what it is.”
Others sided with Snyder and embraced In-N-Out’s expansion.
“I don’t blame her. California is not business-friendly at all,” another person wrote.
In-N-Out Burger locations are set to open in Tennessee by 2026. She’s rejected invitations to open In-N-Out locations in Florida and in various states on the East Coast.
“I’m very proud of where In-N-Out started,” Snyder said. “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. We’ve been expanding into new states since 1992, and we’ve stayed consistent with our standards for growth. Opening an office far from our roots is something new and exciting. It brings incredible opportunities for the people we love and the Customers we serve.”
