OP/ED: In-N-Out’s Billionaire CEO Leaves California — Boo Hoo

July 22, 2025

By Brian Hews

In-N-Out CEO Lynsi Snyder wants you to know it’s just so hard raising a family in California. So she’s packing up her multi-billion-dollar burger empire and moving herself (not the business, just herself) to Tennessee, the promised land of conservative podcasts, zero state income tax, and, apparently, easier parenting.

Let’s get one thing straight. In-N-Out is not fleeing California. It’s consolidating operations in Baldwin Park and opening a second corporate office in Tennessee by 2026. So no, the Double-Doubles aren’t going anywhere. This isn’t a business exodus — it’s a political statement in a bun.

Snyder aired her grievances on “Relatable,” a podcast hosted by right-wing commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, where she cited California’s pandemic restrictions and business regulations as too burdensome. Never mind that those same “burdens” helped In-N-Out thrive through COVID while local mom-and-pop diners shuttered left and right. In-N-Out kept printing money — and burgers — the whole time.

And yet, Snyder is now joining the well-heeled parade of CEOs who stomp their feet and flee to lower-tax states while still reaping the benefits of California’s economy, workforce, and cultural cachet. Elon Musk, Charles Schwab, Chevron — all singing the same tired tune.

But here’s the kicker: Snyder insists California will remain the heart of the company. “The bulk of our stores are still going to be here,” she said. So what exactly is the point of this public “I’m leaving” declaration?

Maybe it’s ego. Maybe it’s politics. Or maybe it’s just classic rich-person theater — performative outrage dressed up as business strategy. Whatever the case, it’s not leadership. It’s whining.

No one begrudges her the right to move. She’s a billionaire — she can live wherever she wants. But announcing her exit like she’s Rosa Parks on the taxation bus is as disingenuous as a lettuce-wrapped Double-Double.

Snyder once said that going nationwide would dilute In-N-Out’s “luster.” She might want to apply the same thinking to her public image.

Enjoy Tennessee, Lynsi. We’ll enjoy the burgers. Just hold the sanctimony.

Contact Brian Hews at [email protected] or follow @cerritosnews.bsky.social

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