Southern California residents looking for another place to grab a Double-Double will soon have more options, as In-N-Out Burger recently added three Southern California locations to its "opening soon" list. These new spots are part of a larger plan to open four new California locations, including one in the Central Valley.
The privately held company, founded in Baldwin Park in 1948, now operates more than 400 restaurants across 10 states, including California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and Tennessee. California remains its largest market, home to over 200 of those locations. Founder Harry Snyder developed the two-way speakerphone system that is now common in drive-throughs.
While the burger chain continues to grow nationally, its home turf in California remains a focus. Jim Salera, senior vice president of equity research covering restaurants at financial services firm Stephens, noted that In-N-Out's continued California expansion is unsurprising given it's the chain's home market. He suggested that the company is targeting areas with "high-propensity guests" that have not yet been reached, even with rising minimum wages and high real estate costs in the state.
Beyond California, In-N-Out also lists a new store opening in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The chain entered Tennessee last year and has quickly grown to five stores in the state. This eastward expansion coincides with a personal move by Lynsi Snyder, owner and president of In-N-Out. Snyder, granddaughter of the company's founders, announced on a conservative podcast that she was leaving California to raise her family in Tennessee.
Tennessee has reportedly been working to attract other businesses, like Paramount, to relocate from California. Despite the Tennessee expansion, Snyder spoke at Pepperdine this year, stating she didn't expect to see In-N-Out "on the East Coast in my lifetime," according to Fox reporting.
Salera linked In-N-Out's decision to expand in Tennessee and other Southern states to booming population growth in those regions, driven by new industries arriving since the pandemic. He explained that in the restaurant industry, the "opportunity for success is bolstered by having more population." Salera added that In-N-Out's classic Americana menu and well-regarded brand are popular among transplants moving to Southern states.
Looking ahead, In-N-Out Burger has plans to open seven new U.S. locations in 2025, with four of those slated for California and the others in Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. Currently headquartered in Irvine, the company also plans to move its corporate offices back to its founding city of Baldwin Park by 2029.
