Popular West Coast Fast Food Chain Expanding Eastward: Is NY Next?
"Those are good burgers, Walter."
Those words were famously uttered by Steve Buscemi in the 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski, in reference to California-based burger chain In-N-Out. For years, the chain has been making waves primarily on the West Coast.
Well, now New Yorkers can be hopeful that an In-N-Out might materialize here at some point: Because for the first time in its history, In-N-Out Burger is expanding east of the Mississippi.
The fast food chain known for its "secret menu" and "Animal Style" fries recently announced it would be opening up restaurants in Tennessee, which is their furthest eastward expansion to date. The Nashville area is eyeballing 2026 for the opening of its first In-N-Outs. You wanna talk about a line? There most certainly will be one when that time comes.
SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL WITH IN-N-OUT?
Founded in 1948, In-N-Out Burger was California's first drive-thru hamburger stand. It's still owned and operated by the original family who founded it, the Snyders.
Unless you've had it, you probably won't care. But In-N-Out is EXTREMELY popular on the West Coast. The burgers are made fresh to order and the fries are cut on site from actual potatoes. There are only 385 locations total, throughout California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado and Texas.
Despite overwhelming demand, In-N-Out has been reluctant to expand too quickly to other states. But with news of its new Tennessee openings, New Yorkers can remain hopeful that they might nudge a little further eastward and drop a restaurant or two in the Empire State.