In-N-Out brings 'animal style' to Tennessee with plans to expand further in the U.S.

By Joe Hernandez

Published January 10, 2023 at 4:53 PM EST

Drivers wait in the drive-thru line at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Alhambra, California, on August 30, 2018.

In-N-Out Burger is "double-doubling" down on growing its business, announcing it would open new locations in Tennessee, the farthest east the company has ever gone.

The California-based fast food chain – where you can order your burger "Animal Style" off the company's "not-so-secret menu" – said Tuesday that it would open new restaurants in Tennessee as well as an "eastern territory office" in Franklin, just south of Nashville.

In-N-Out owner and president Lynsi Snyder – who is also the only granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder – said the company was eager to expand into Tennessee.

"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," Snyder said in a statement.

State officials, who cheered the announcement, said In-N-Out's planned administrative office in Tennessee is expected to be a $125.5 million investment that will create 277 new jobs in Williamson County.

"I'm proud to welcome In-N-Out Burger, an iconic American brand, to the Volunteer State," Gov. Bill Lee said in a statement. "Tennessee's unmatched business climate, skilled workforce and central location make our state the ideal place for this family-run company to establish its first eastern United States hub."

The iconic burger joint that began in 1948 as a 10' x 10' stand in Baldwin Park, Calif., now boasts a total of 385 locations across the state as well as in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon and Colorado.

In-N-Out plans to complete construction on its office in Franklin and open its new restaurants in and around Nashville by 2026.

Snyder told the Associated Press that the company will likely expand across the region, too, since deliveries from its Texas warehouse would cross through multiple nearby states.

It's not the only fast food chain with a devoted fanbase expanding eastward. The Texas-based Whataburger opened its first restaurants in Tennessee last year.