In-N-Out began expansion to the mid-state last year
There was a time when we in the south only heard tales of the greatness of the California burger chain In-N-Out Burger (In-N-Out). Soon, Cookeville may find out if it lives up to all the hype.
With last year’s groundbreaking on the company’s eastern territory office and its first TN store in Franklin (company plans 2026 opening date), In-N-Out began expansion to the mid-state. In-N-Out will invest $125.5 million to establish in Franklin which represents In-N-Out’s first expansion east of Texas. The project will create 277 new jobs.
In-N-Out also has intentions to open 35 more restaurants across TN (including Cookeville), according to a recent report by the Nashville Business Journal.
Those locations include:
- Knoxville: three to five stores
- Chattanooga: two to three stores
- Morristown: one store
- Tri-Cities: two to three stores
- Nashville: 10 to 15 stores
- Clarksville: one store
- Cookeville: one-store
- Jackson: one store
- Memphis: four to five stores
“We are very excited to provide Tennesseans with our quality burgers, fries and shakes,” said Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, In-N-Out’s third generation owner and president. “In every decision I make, I always consider what my family would want. I have no doubt that my grandparents, dad, and uncle would be proud of this decision to grow our associate family and serve even more amazing customers beginning in Nashville and the surrounding areas. This expansion is significant for our company. For many years, we’ve heard requests from our customers in Tennessee to consider opening locations near them, further east than we’ve ever been. Our customers are our most important asset at In-N-Out, and we very much look forward to serving them in years to come and becoming part of the wonderful communities in the Volunteer State.”
According to the report, Snyder-Ellingson made the pitch at the Feb. 4 Nashville Business Breakfast. In-N-Out says it is a family business at its heart. Since its opening in 1948, the company has been guided by the same principles.
“Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling-clean environment,” according to the company.
In-N-Out remains privately owned with 39,000 employees at more than 400 locations and growing with “no plans to pursue franchises or a public offering.” The company has a presence in California, Nevada Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Texas, Colorado and Idaho. Including Tennessee, plans for locations in Washington and New Mexico are underway. According to the company, most of its new locations will include indoor and outdoor seating, a drive-thru and dining room service.
Snyder-Ellingson recently spoke on the company’s future.
“[My husband] just started talking about Tennessee, and then God started working on my heart. I started bringing it to the office, ‘I think we’re supposed to go to Tennessee,” Snyder-Ellingson said during the Nashville event according to the NBJ. “It was really just a God thing. And then of course the more I’ve come here, I’ve fallen in love with really the whole state, but there’s something very quaint, especially the Franklin area.”
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