In-N-Out Burger is growing, but one region remains off limits

(KTLA) – For devoted fans of In-N-Out, guessing where the iconic Southern California-based chain plans to open next is practically a sport.

A routine update to the company’s official locations map reveals six new spots where customers will soon be able to enjoy its Double-Doubles, milkshakes and Animal Style fries. The upcoming batch of “opening soon” locations spans four Western states, including the chain’s home state of California.

In Southern California, new stores are under construction at 6233 Telegraph Ave. in Commerce and 7900 Great Park Blvd. in Irvine. Northern California is getting a new location at 10537 Trinity Parkway in Stockton.

Outside the Golden State, the company is adding locations at 33375 N. Gary Road in San Tan Valley, Arizona; 4643 S. Pioneer Road in St. George, Utah; and 1965 Blue Lakes Blvd. North in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Exact opening dates have not yet been announced – and often aren’t until shortly before opening (sometimes a day before).

In-N-Out Burger currently operates more than 430 locations across 10 states, the most recent: Tennessee, where restaurants are supplied by the chain’s fresh-food distribution hub in East Texas.

CEO Lynsi Snyder, the granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder, has indicated that additional Southern and Eastern states could eventually be added to the company’s footprint. However, she appears to have drawn a firm line when it comes to expanding to the East Coast.

“I don’t see us being on the East Coast in my lifetime,” Snyder, 43, told a crowd of students and faculty during a forum at Pepperdine University in April. “We won’t compromise on quality just to expand.”

In-N-Out does not freeze its ingredients. And as a result, its beef patties, produce and dairy products must be distributed through an internal supply chain – with a radius of about a day’s drive from its hubs.

That commitment is one reason In-N-Out’s expansion has historically moved at a deliberate pace.

When Harry Snyder died in 1976, the company operated just 18 locations, all in Southern California. It took 46 years to reach 100 locations, another 11 years to hit store No. 200 and another decade to surpass 300 locations.

Amore Philips, a New York-based public relations strategist, said the company’s slow-growth approach, along with Snyder’s expansion philosophy, has been a smart business strategy.

“Brands with strong followings do not need to be available everywhere. They create destinations,” Philips told Fox News Digital. “In-N-Out has fostered loyalty through scarcity and consistency, achieving more than most brands that rely on widespread convenience.”

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