The Real Reason In-N-Out Won't Open Restaurants on the East Coast

[MULTIZ321]

The Real Reason In-N-Out Won't Open Restaurants on the East Coast
From Readers Digest Editors/ Restaurants/ Taste of Home/ tasteofhome.com

"In-N-Out restaurants are exclusive to the West Coast–but they have just as many fans on the East Coast too. Here's the real reason why the chain won't be opening locations on the East Coast.

The company refuses to sell frozen patties to ensure that customers are only eating the highest-quality meat, according to the official website. That’s why all In-N-Out restaurant locations are within 300 miles of In-N-Out’s patty-making facilities. These facility locations are only in California and Texas, hence the lack of any East Coast locations. This commitment to fresh food applies to other key ingredients, too—the fries are hand-cut, the lettuce is hand-leafed, and the buns are freshly baked. Not to mention, the chain locations don’t have any freezers or microwaves. Don’t have an In-N-Out nearby?...."

Photo: Shutterstock / Kapi Ng



Richard

 

[Bucky]

“Build it and they will come”

 

[silentg]

There was an In and Out in Kissimmee Florida years ago. Didn’t last long though.

 

[x3 skier]

The real reason is no franchising, not supplies.

Cheers

 

[am1]

How many locations are more then 300 miles from their distribution centers? Oregon and utah are a long way from Southern California. Texas is a big state as well.

 

[Elan]

The real reason is no franchising, not supplies.

Cheers

I'd say it's both. Proximity to supplies and controlled growth.

 

[Steve Fatula]

The Real Reason In-N-Out Won't Open Restaurants on the East Coast
...
That’s why all In-N-Out restaurant locations are within 300 miles of In-N-Out’s patty-making facilities. These facility locations are only in California and Texas, hence the lack of any East Coast locations.

Ok, I get that, and will assume that is true. But the headline says why they won't open. I would say they may still open despite the article since they could always build a patty making facility say in the NE, where 300 miles hits massive urban areas.

 

[Bucky]

But then you have to have the desire! Since the lady already has over a $1B net worth, she may not want or need the hassle to be the largest. You have to have the desire to grow because it’s obvious she doesn’t have the need!

 

[Eric B]

The real reason is no franchising, not supplies.

Cheers

I'd say it's both. Proximity to supplies and controlled growth.

But the original post was to something on the internet, so it has to be true....

 

[Passepartout]

In-n-Out is privately owned by 30 year old Lynsi Torres. The $1.1B company can do whatever she says. And if she doesn't want to expand, they won't

Jim

 

[pedro47]

Sound liked Torres is very please with the current quality control of the company products IMHP.

 

[Lydlady]

Okay, enough of this talk. Got to go there again sometime soon.

 

[VacationForever]

We have not gone to an In-N-Out for about a year. This is a good tickler for us and we will be there this week! Double-double protein style with no sauce for me, Triple-double protein style with no sauce for my husband and extra crispy fries.

 

[am1]

My guess is a distribution center in Northern California possibly Sacramento or a little further north would better suit their needs then one in the northeast or mid atlantic or north florida/Atlanta. 300 mile radius in the northeast could reach a lot of people but with traffic maybe 200 miles would be the limit.

 

[Elan]

My guess is a distribution center in Northern California possibly Sacramento or a little further north would better suit their needs then one in the northeast or mid atlantic or north florida/Atlanta. 300 mile radius in the northeast could reach a lot of people but with traffic maybe 200 miles would be the limit.

I read they have a meat production facility in Lathrop, CA, which is just south of Sacramento. Also, I'm not sure the 300mi range is a strict rule. SLC is not within 300 miles of any of their distribution facilities that I'm aware of.

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[am1]

I read they have a meat production facility in Lathrop, CA, which is just south of Sacramento. Also, I'm not sure the 300mi range is a strict rule. SLC is not within 300 miles of any of their distribution facilities that I'm aware of.

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Looks like you are right and makes sense. I read they only had two but wikipedia says more:


Baldwin park, Lathrop, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Draper, Utah; and Dallas, Texas

Also announced in 2021 will open in Colorado.

 

[dioxide45]

I suspect as others have noted, it has more to do with franchising than anything. I am sure investors would be beating down their doors and willing to build a distribution facility on the east coast if they would allow franchises to operate there.

 

[billymach4]

If they ever went to the East Coast.... Service would take a nose dive. It would ruin their reputation.

 

[Beachclubmum]

Years ago I read an article that stated a different reason. After their top executives died in a plane crash, they said they would only open stores within a day's drive of their headquarters. Guess that blew out the window with the Dallas opening, but it still makes me wonder if that's still part of their non-expansion reasoning.

 

[Elan]

This is a direct quote from the VP of operations when asked about expansion:

“Our own in-house butchers produce all of our meat patties at In-N-Out Burger facilities in three locations: Baldwin Park, California, Lathrop, California, and Dallas, Texas,” Warnick says. “We do this so that we can control the quality and freshness of every meat patty we serve. The ability to deliver our fresh meat patties to all of our restaurants is one of the most important considerations for us when we consider expanding to a new market.”

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[Passepartout]

This has nothing to do with In-n-Out, but with privately held businesses. I worked for the largest refrigerated trucking company in the country. Over 6000 pieces of rolling stock. But it operated (still does) from just ONE terminal, office complex, maintenance facility. It is family owned and operated, and in order to expand, they feel that some family member(s) would have to relocate to wherever the company expanded, and nobody wants to move. Simple as that.

Jim

 

[Elan]

Some companies are of the mindset that bigger isn't necessarily better. In-N-Out clearly wants to control their expansion, presumably because they realize that what makes them stand out in the ultra-competitive fast food burger market, to the point of cult-like status, is their quality. I suspect they expand at a rate that allows them to feel as though they're not compromising quality. Not just food quality, but also logistics and management.

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[bbodb1]

Writing this as someone who lives in an area without an In N Out but is familiar with them, as much as I'd like to have one nearby there are so many existing burger joints already that it is hard to see In N Out wanting to expand further.

This is not to say they couldn't expand, but at this point what is their motivation?

On the flip side, if In N Out moved here and put Red Robin out of its misery, I would be ecstatic...

 

[dioxide45]

On the flip side, if In N Out moved here and put Red Robin out of its misery, I would be ecstatic...

I actually think Red Robin is really good. They are obviously a different style restaurant than In N Out. One is fast food/fast casual and the other is casual table service.

 

[bbodb1]

I actually think Red Robin is really good. They are obviously a different style restaurant than In N Out. One is fast food/fast casual and the other is casual table service.

I should have added a bit more to my point - my bad, Dioxide45.

In my experience, Red Robin is extremely inconsistent from location to location. I've dined at some very good Red Robins and some very bad ones. There seems to be little consistency within the chain. Our local Red Robin is one of the very bad.