California's burger wars heat up as Habit Burger & Grill trolls In-N-Out with new billboard

Los Angeles Times

2 days ago

Habit Burger & Grill has doubled down on its provocative marketing strategy, updating its billboard trolling of burger giant In-N-Out for a second consecutive year after once again beating the chain in a national ranking.
Habit has updated its existing billboard near Los Angeles International Airport, directly across from an In-N-Out location on Sepulveda Boulevard, to reflect its rival's drop to fourth place in USA Today's 10 Best fast-food burger rankings. The same sign from last year has been recycled, with the '#2' crossed out in red and replaced with '#4.'
The company — which took first place for the best fast-food burger (the Double Char) — also earned top rankings from USA Today for best fast casual restaurant and best fast-food side dish for its tempura green beans.
'We congratulated In-N-Out on being #2 last year with a billboard,' Jack Hinchliffe, chief marketing officer at Habit, said in a press release. 'This year, we were going to send a gift but couldn't afford the postage to Tennessee, so we saved a few bucks and reused the same billboard. We just had to swap out the 2 for a 4.'
The Tennessee reference is a pointed jab at In-N-Out's eastward expansion. In January 2023, the company announced plans to establish an Eastern territory office in Franklin, Tenn., by 2026. Last month, billionaire owner and Chief Executive Lynsi Snyder announced on a conservative podcast that she is personally leaving California for Tennessee.
'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 during her appearance on a conservative podcast. She specifically cited COVID-19 pandemic-era restrictions as particularly challenging for business operations.
Snyder's departure represents a seismic shift for the leader of a brand that has been a pillar of California fast-food culture for more than 75 years.
The move places In-N-Out among a growing list of major companies relocating from California, including electric car maker Tesla, financial services firm Charles Schwab, and oil giant Chevron, all citing regulatory challenges, operational costs and policy disagreements.
The timing of Habit's latest marketing gambit coincides with In-N-Out's continued decline in the annual USA Today rankings. In-N-Out ranked sixth in 2023, second in 2024, and fourth this year.
USA Today's 10 Best contests rely on expert panels to select nominees, followed by public voting to determine winners. While not scientific, the rankings have gained attention among consumers.
The billboard campaign represents an asymmetric marketing battle between two companies of vastly different sizes. In-N-Out operates more than 400 locations across eight states, while Habit has more than 385 restaurants across 14 states and international markets since opening its first location in Santa Barbara in 1969.
'We were born in Santa Barbara in 1969, remain proudly Californian and we're not going anywhere,' Hinchliffe said.
Both chains maintain their headquarters in Irvine, located about seven miles apart, though In-N-Out plans to consolidate its California operations in Baldwin Park, where Harry Snyder, Lynsi Snyder's grandfather, co-founded the company in 1948.
The In-N-Out billboard is part of a broader campaign by Habit targeting multiple competitors. The company has deployed mobile billboards to locations near other chains that made the USA Today rankings, including Chipotle, Five Guys, Shake Shack and Panera Bread, offering congratulatory messages on their lower rankings.
In-N-Out did not respond to a request for comment.