In-N-Out Is Finally Gracing The East With Its Presence

As the most popular fast food chain in California, In-N-Out has long been a mere treat for easterners who can only enjoy its food while on vacation out west. Even with this geographic exclusivity, the burger brand takes in about $4.5 million a year according to a 2018 Forbes article, which is nearly double what McDonald's was making at the time.

The restaurant has expanded as far as Texas, though until now, president Lynsi Snyder felt no need to travel any further toward the east coast. "I like that we're sought after when someone's coming into town. I like that we're unique. That we're not on every corner. You put us in every state and it takes away some of its luster," she told Forbes. Per Insider, the company has always situated its stores no further than 300 miles from its facilities, ensuring the meat is always high quality and never frozen. However, some changes are now being made that could open a passageway for the chain's expansion into the east.

The future is bright for In-N-Out fans living on the east coast. Per Restaurant Business Online, an east coast office will soon be opening in Tennessee, followed by restaurants across the state by 2026. No plans are concrete yet, but this could potentially be the start of stores popping up in numerous eastern states. "While we are focused on Tennessee at this time, knowing we'll be delivering from our warehouse in Texas, there is a path that crosses a few other states that could be in our future," president Lynsi Snyder said. Snyder finds it important to make decisions her late family would be supportive of, and she thinks the addition of a Nashville office is a good choice for the brand's future.

According to Forbes, Snyder is the granddaughter of Harry and Esther Snyder, who founded In-N-Out in 1948. After several deaths in the family, Lynsi came into ownership of the business unexpectedly in 2010 when she was 27; she is now a billionaire and still running the beloved burger chain. The expansion might be a big change for the company, but if anything is certain, it will never fall into the hands of a franchisee or investor. "It's not about the money for us," Snyder told Forbes. "Unless God sends a lightning bolt down and changes my heart miraculously, I would not ever sell."