In-N-Out owner places order to go − out of California

USA Today

24-07-2025

California's progressive policies have pushed out major employers like Tesla, Chevron and Hewlett Packard. Now, the owner of In-N-Out says she and her family are leaving her home state.
One of the simple joys my kids and I experienced when we moved to Texas was finally living near an In-N-Out.
We've savored the classic California brand's West Coast vibe, Double-Doubles and Animal Style Fries. Plus, I can feed the five of us for less than $50. Not a bad deal, in this economy.
I'm not the only one thinking about the economics of In-N-Out. The burger chain's owner, Lynsi Snyder, has announced she is evacuating from deep blue California for the friendlier environs of red state Tennessee, where the company her grandparents founded in 1948 is building a second corporate headquarters.
Snyder said she's leaving the West Coast for the Mid-South for the sake of her family and her business.
'There's a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here," Snyder told podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey on July 18. "Doing business is not easy here."
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I can't blame Snyder for giving up on California. She'll join business leaders like Elon Musk, companies like Chevron and Tesla, and hundreds of thousands of regular people who've fled California for better lives and better business opportunities in other states.
California is a bastion of liberalism that's pushed tax rates and the cost of living to ridiculous extremes even as residents' quality of life has declined.
In-N-Out owner checks out of her home state
The fact Snyder is leaving the state where her family made its fortune nearly 80 years ago is yet another indicator of California's decline. Snyder said state policies, including draconian restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, have made it difficult for businesses to operate.
People and companies are not just fleeing California − in many cases, they are relocating to red states with a drastically different approach to politics and policy.
My home state of Texas in recent years has become the new home of choice of many former California enterprises such as Hewlett Packard, McAfee, Charles Schwab and Realtor.com.
Ordinary Californians are leaving en masse too. From July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, California lost a net of about 240,000 residents to other states, many to Texas. The state's overall population rose in 2024, after several years of decline, because of immigration from other countries.
California, of course, still has extraordinary natural resources, including hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline, majestic mountains, redwood forests, and world-class farmland and vineyards.
What it doesn't have are political leaders with economic sense − or common sense. According to Chief Executive magazine's rankings for the best and worst states for business, California landed in last place. A 2021 Cato Institute study of the best and worst states for entrepreneurs found California placed 48th.
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But California lawmakers still don't understand the assignment. On Jan. 1, the state's minimum wage increased to a whopping $16.50 an hour for all businesses, and fast-food workers are now paid a minimum of $20 an hour. That means business owners either take a pay cut, charge their customers more or eliminate jobs.
Or they relocate out of state.
The owner of California's iconic burger chain will soon trade the Golden State's beaches for Tennessee's foothills. And if she ever wants to sample the world's best barbecue, she's welcome here in Texas.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.