Gavin Newsom’s California Loses Another Iconic Company to Red State [WATCH]

Lynsi Snyder, president and billionaire heiress of In-N-Out Burger, announced she is leaving California and relocating to Tennessee as the company begins expanding eastward.

CEO Lynsi Snyder of In-N-Out Burger message to @GavinNewsom @GovPressOffice @RobertRivas_CA @CA_Dem… The @cagop has a plan to fix #California! pic.twitter.com/uQuhkvxWb8

— Monterey County Republican Party (@MCGOP_CA) July 19, 2025

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The decision follows a series of business and political clashes with the policies of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Speaking on Allie Beth Stuckey’s Relatable podcast this week, Snyder, 43, confirmed the move and offered insight into the challenges of operating in the state where the company has been headquartered for 76 years.

“There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here,” Snyder said.

Fun Fact: In-N-Out has never closed a restaurant due to lack of profitability. The only location to close was in Oakland, California, due to the company’s concerns for the safety of its employees. Although the location was profitable, In-N-Out decided to leave the city. In an…

— ᶠᵃⁿ In-N-Out Burger (@innoutburger_) July 9, 2025

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She also revealed that In-N-Out is building a new regional office in Franklin, Tennessee, and confirmed her family’s move to the area.

“We’re building an office in Franklin, so I’m actually moving out there,” she said.

While the majority of In-N-Out locations will remain in California, Snyder indicated that the company is positioning itself for broader access through regional facilities.

“Florida has begged us and we’re still saying no. The East Coast states, we’re saying no,” she said, noting that distribution logistics from Texas and Tennessee would guide expansion plans.

“We are able to reach Tennessee from our Texas warehouse. Texas can reach some other states.”

In-n-Out President Lynsi Snyder reveals for the first time that she and her family are LEAVING California for Tennessee. “Raising a family is not easy here,” she told me. “Doing business is not easy here.”

After 77 years, In-n-Out HQ will say goodbye to its home state and set… pic.twitter.com/yorQTiRXzx

— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) July 18, 2025

During the podcast, Snyder addressed the company’s refusal to comply with certain COVID-19 mandates during the pandemic, including a San Francisco location that was temporarily shut down for not enforcing vaccine passport requirements.

“We were shut down for a brief moment, but it was worth it. We can be closed down for a couple days and feel good about it,” Snyder said.

Looking back on the mandates, Snyder added, “I look back and I’m like man, we should have pushed harder on that stuff. That was definitely where we held the line, we are not going to be policing our customers. I don’t want this and I don’t expect them to want it.”

Following the San Francisco incident, Snyder said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reached out to her.

DeSantis has been a vocal opponent of strict COVID-era mandates and promoted an open-approach policy in his state.

In February, In-N-Out announced it would consolidate its California operations by closing its Irvine office and relocating its West Coast headquarters to Baldwin Park.

The new Tennessee office will serve as the chain’s most eastern hub to date.

The move comes amid a broader exodus of businesses from California.

From 2020 to 2024, over 500 companies relocated out of the state or chose to expand elsewhere, according to a recent report.

Major corporations including Airbnb, Amazon, Apple, SpaceX, and X were among those identified. In-N-Out now joins the list.

Snyder has previously clashed with California officials over state-imposed policies.

In April 2024, she described internal battles over California’s minimum wage hike, which raised hourly pay to $20 for fast food workers at chains with more than 60 locations nationwide.

“I was sitting in meetings going toe-to-toe saying we can’t raise the prices that much. We can’t,” Snyder told NBC’s Savannah Sellers.

“Because I felt such an obligation to look out for our customer. When everyone else was taking these jumps, we weren’t.”

During the interview, Snyder also shared that In-N-Out won’t be using any technology, such as mobile ordering, that would impact customers’ experience.

— ᶠᵃⁿ In-N-Out Burger (@innoutburger_) December 24, 2024

Governor Newsom backed the wage hike, which drew criticism from businesses that argued the increase would lead to higher consumer prices and staffing issues.

Gavin Newsom instituted a $20 minimum wage for fast food workers in California. 3 months later and nearly 10,000 fast food workers have been laid off, chains are closing down locations, and others are declaring bankruptcy.

Great job Gavin! pic.twitter.com/tEtLv0lNvZ

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 9, 2024

Snyder became president of In-N-Out in 2010 and assumed full ownership in 2017.

With a net worth of $7.3 billion, she is one of the youngest billionaires in the U.S.

Under her leadership, the company has grown to over 400 locations across multiple states, continuing the legacy of her grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, who founded the chain in 1948.

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