In-N-Out president leaving CA for Tennessee, saying 'raising a family is not easy here'

LOS ANGELES (KGO) -- As California's much-loved hamburger chain In-N-Out Burger expands across the country into Tennessee, billionaire owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder has announced she and her family are going with it and heading east, too.

"There are a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here," Snyder announced last week on the "Relatable" podcast, hosted by conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey. "Doing business is not easy here."
The popular hamburger chain happens to be expanding in the state.

Governor Gavin Newsom quickly took to social media on Friday to clarify the company is not leaving California.

Snyder said the In-N-Out's corporate headquarters will remain in California.

On Monday evening, days after the podcast, Snyder said in a video on Instagram, "We're not moving In-N-Out Burger's corporate headquarters. In addition to our Baldwin Park office, we're expanding with an Eastern territory office in Tennessee to support our growth. We're not leaving California or leaving our roots behind. Each one of our locations is here to stay. Moving into Tennessee provides our In-N-Out associates wonderful opportunities to buy a home and raise a family and be part of our expansion in a different part of the U.S."

Earlier this year, In-N-Out announced it was closing one of its Southern California offices as part of a West Coast consolidation.

Snyder is the granddaughter of the chain's founder, Harry Snyder, who opened his first drive-thru hamburger stand in Baldwin Park in Los Angeles County in 1948. The California cachet has long been part of the brand's identity.

According to its website, In-N-Out Burger has more than 400 locations across eight states - California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado and Idaho.

The Associated Press contributed to this report