Another American business is packing its bags and leaving the once-Golden State behind—this time, it’s one of California’s most beloved homegrown brands. In-N-Out Burger, the iconic fast-food chain known for its fresh burgers and Christian values, is expanding its footprint in Tennessee and relocating key parts of its operations to the Volunteer State, citing California’s rampant crime, burdensome regulations, and a business climate hostile to American values.
In a candid and refreshingly honest interview, In-N-Out owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder didn’t mince words. While acknowledging the cultural and sentimental ties her company has to California, she made it clear: the state has become nearly unlivable for families and unsafe for employees.
“There’s a lot of great things about California,” Snyder began, “but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here.” That’s putting it mildly.
The fast-food chain has been repeatedly victimized by the crime wave sweeping California, fueled by soft-on-crime policies and progressive leadership more concerned with virtue signaling than public safety. Snyder revealed that employees were subjected to gunfire and stabbings. “For the safety of our associates, we just felt like this is not OK,” she said.
In-N-Out recently shuttered its Oakland location after 18 years of service—not because of poor business performance (the store was profitable), but because employees and customers were regularly victims of car break-ins, theft, and even armed robberies. Chief Operating Officer Denny Warwick summed it up: “We cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment.”
Despite the shutdowns, Snyder emphasized the company’s commitment to its roots while also embracing a future in states that still value law and order, personal freedom, and the American dream. “We’re building an office in Franklin, \[Tennessee], so I’m actually moving out there,” she shared. While she acknowledged that Florida and other East Coast states had extended open invitations, she noted that Tennessee made sense due to logistical advantages and shared values.
What’s truly telling is how Snyder framed the move—not just as a business decision, but as a lifestyle and values-based choice. “My number one priority is keeping the company the same company my grandparents started,” she said, highlighting the family-first culture that has always defined In-N-Out.
The message is loud and clear: California’s far-left policies are driving out even its most iconic institutions. Sky-high taxes, rampant crime, COVID-era overreach, and a culture that punishes traditional American values have made the state unrecognizable to many of its lifelong residents.
Tennessee, by contrast, offers lower taxes, safer streets, and a government that respects freedom and faith.
As In-N-Out sets up its new headquarters in a red state that still embraces common sense, it joins a growing list of businesses and families voting with their feet. The migration from blue to red is more than economic—it’s cultural. And In-N-Out’s decision makes one thing very clear: if the Left doesn’t reverse course, California won’t just lose businesses—it’ll lose the very soul of what made it great.
