“Not Easy Raising A Family Here” – In-N-Out Burger CEO Under Fire After Comments On Leaving California For Nashville

It seems like everybody is moving to Nashville these days.

If you live in Music City you know just how crowded it’s getting. And I’ve only lived here for about 10 years so I’m not really in any position to talk about transplants, but even in the decade that I’ve been in Nashville I’ve seen just how fast it’s grown. From companies like Amazon and Oracle to people who relocated during the pandemic, it seems like everybody wants to be in Nashville these days.

Including, apparently, In-N-Out Burger.

The California-based burger chain recently announced their first Tennessee locations would be coming to the Nashville area later this year. But it’s not just opening new stores: The company will also be establishing a corporate presence here too.

In-N-Out Burger was founded in the Los Angeles suburb of Baldwin Park, California back in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder. And since then, the chain has expanded to over 400 locations, mostly in California and the surrounding states.

Tennessee will be by far the furthest east for an In-N-Out location. But CEO Lynsi Snyder, the only grandchild of the company’s founders, recently ruffled some feathers when she revealed that not only will the Nashville area be getting some new restaurants, she’s also moving out here herself and opening a Tennessee headquarters.

During an appearance on the Relatable podcast, Snyder revealed that the challenges of operating in California caused her to want to relocate:

“I’m actually moving out there. I really loved living in Northern California and I’m so thankful that I grew up there because I think it changed a lot of who I am today, I think I would be different if I was raised in Southern California.

There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here. The bulk of our stores are still going to be here in California, but it will be wonderful having an office … growing out there.”

Of course Tennessee doesn’t have a state income tax, and has a much lower tax rate than California in general, making it an attractive location for many businesses who have relocated to the Volunteer State and Nashville in recent years. But Snyder’s comments didn’t sit well with some who saw them as an excuse to justify a move based solely on profit:

“Saying it’s “Not easy doing business” in the state that made you worth $7.3 billion is crazy talk.”

“This is a maga move. Nothing more than that.”

“Be truthful and just say you want to go to Tennessee to pay yourself more since they don’t have income tax. You don’t want to support California which made your family rich.”

“Incredibly disappointed to hear the owners thoughts on the state that made her a billionaire. Claiming California makes it hard to do business while you’re one of the richest people is disingenuous at best, lying at worst.”

“If you are bashing CA saying you need to move your family and corporate offices to TN, then take all of your CA restaurants with you. Not going to let you hate our state and keep making money here. Done with you.”

“It’s crazy how quickly those that used California to build their empires turn their backs to the state that made them.”

“Rich people complaining about how expensive California is to live all while California is the reason they’re rich.”

I mean, I don’t really see the problem with her comments. She’s running a business, and if it makes more sense to move that business to another state because of regulations in California, why wouldn’t she? That seems like more of a California problem than an In-N-Out problem…

But after facing criticism for her comments, Snyder took to social media to attempt to clarify that the company’s new office in Franklin, Tennessee would be in addition to their California office:

“We’re not moving In-N-Out Burger’s corporate headquarters. In addition to our Baldwin Park office, we’re expanding with an Eastern Territory office in Tennessee to support our growth…

I’m very proud of where In-N-Out started. 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.”

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Maybe it’s just me, but it sounds to me like more of a California problem than an In-N-Out problem…The post “Not Easy Raising A Family Here” – In-N-Out Burger CEO Under Fire After Comments On Leaving California For Nashville first appeared on Whiskey Riff.