In-N-Out Burger has been considered a staple fast food stop in California ever since it first opened its doors in 1948, with only a few more locations in the Southwest outside the Golden State.
However, the chain's President and In-N-Out heiress Lynsi Snyder, the granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder, surprised the business world when she appeared on the Relatable podcast and announced her decision to move out of California with her family.
What's more, the mom-of-four also revealed that the company will be opening a brand new headquarters at the family's new home of Franklin, Tennessee, citing a desire to not only raise her kids in a different environment, but also considerable tax concerns.
"There's a lot of great things about California. But raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here," she stated. While a bulk of the Californian locations will remain open, they plan to close the chain's Irvine office by 2030, building several more in middle Tennessee.
As of 2022, In-N-Out generated a whopping $1.83 billion in revenue, and the move to Tennessee, which has much friendlier tax breaks, could be instrumental in growing revenue.
The Tax Foundation lists corporate income tax rates at 8.84% for California, one of the highest in the country, while Tennessee stands at a more relaxed 6.5% as of 2025. It also factors into the individual income tax as well.
California levies an individual income tax of 13.3%, while Tennessee is one of only nine states in the country to have 0%, meaning Lynsi herself likely stands to benefit greatly from a move as well, given she presumably earns millions from the company's revenue each year.
In fact, her own personal net worth, per Forbes, is estimated at a sky-high $7.3 billion. If she were to sell the franchise (which she has not alluded to doing), she could stand to gain additional millions due to the low level of investor-level taxes in the state as well, potentially a 40% lower tax bill.
Such would also be the case for other high level employees in the business when it comes to paying individual income taxes upon moving to Tennessee, and it also opens up opportunities for other employees moving to the state to gain greater access to housing due to the lower tax and property rates.
The move sparked minor backlash online from those who combated the idea that In-N-Out could ever be associated with another state outside of California, and whether it was more so motivated by personal gain for the President herself.
Lynsi took to social media earlier this week to share a statement clarifying some of the comments she made on the podcast, stating categorically that the company won't actually be leaving California. "I'm very proud of where In-N-Out started," she penned.
"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."