East Coast fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of In-N-Out’s famed burgers and Animal Style fries have been left disappointed by recent news from the company’s CEO.
The beloved West Coast fast-food chain, renowned nationwide, currently has its easternmost outpost in Tennessee.
CEO Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson has openly stated that the chain has no plans to expand further eastward towards New York or Florida in the near future.
“We won’t compromise on quality just to expand,” Snyder-Ellingson emphasized, signaling that the cherished California brand is not yet ready to make its debut in the eastern half of the United States, despite fervent pleas from loyal fans.
Furthermore, Snyder-Ellingson confirmed there are no intentions to “modernize” their current establishments. She dismissed the adoption of changes popular among competitors, such as mobile ordering and delivery services.
According to her, the “main reason” for In-N-Out’s enduring appeal is “the interaction and the customer service that we’re able to give, the smile, the greeting. Just that warmth and feeling, the culture.”
In-N-Out is regularly ranked among America’s best burgers – topping a recent Yelp list and placing near the top of USA Today’s fast food rankings.
Meanwhile, chains like Burger King are actively attempting to streamline restaurants, even adding an AI headset to monitor their employees’ politeness.
In-N-Out has more than half of their locations in California, although they are steadily heading east
In-n-Out CEO Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson moved her family to Tennessee, near the company’s corporate hub
With sales remaining strong and new locations opening on the horizon, Snyder-Ellingson said, ‘we’ll keep doing it the way we’ve done it for a long, long time, way before I was born.’
In-N-Out is still expanding – just not on the East Coast. The company has more than 430 locations across the US, with around two-thirds still in California. New restaurants are opening across Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The chain’s Tennessee corporate office expansion was announced in January 2023, with the company heavily focusing on opening restaurants in the southern state.
In July 2025, there were rumblings of restaurants shifting to the East Coast after Snyder-Ellingson relocated her family near the Tennessee corporate hub.
The CEO quickly clarified that her family’s move would not impact California restaurant locations.
‘Where I raise my family has nothing to do with my love and appreciation for our customers in California,’ she said. ‘I’m very proud of where In-N-Out started, and anyone who knows me knows how often I talk about our beginnings and how our customers here in California brought us to where we are today.’
In-N-Out feels like a family business for Snyder-Ellingson, with the CEO preserving the ‘legacy’ of her grandparents.
‘I want to make them proud,’ Snyder-Ellingson said. ‘I want to champion everything that they would want.’
Snyder-Ellingson is the granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder
In-N-Out mostly sells burgers, milkshakes and fries with some items added to their secret menu
Founded in 1948, In-N-Out Burger is known for serving fresh and inexpensive burgers and fries.
Some of the chain’s popular menu items include its Double-Double burgers and Animal Style fries topped with onions, cheese and a secret sauce.
In-N-Out also built a reputation on its freshness, claiming that they never use freezers or microwaves in its restaurants.
As a result, fans nationwide flock to In-N-Out locations, including best actor winner Michael B Jordan, who popped by a Los Angeles storefront to pose with his trophy.
