'Too early' to determine In-N-Out's future in Tri-Cities

KINGSPORT — Earlier this year, news started spreading about the potential for West Coast-based In-N-Out to open locations in the Tri-Cities. This conversation started after Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, In-N-Out owner and president, spoke at the Feb. 4 Nashville Business Breakfast event held at Lipscomb University. According to information reported by the Nashville Business Journal, In-N-Out Burger is looking at 35 possible locations in Tennessee. Included in that list, according to NBJ, is two to three stores in the Tri-Cities area. Mike Abbate, vice president of store development for In-N-Out Burger, said in a statement to the Times News Tuesday that In-N-Out Burger's future growth would be "deliberate" and "controlled," as is the strategy of the company — but he could not share any other specifics about development for the area. "We are excited to soon be a part of some wonderful communities in Tennessee, beginning in the Nashville area," Abbate said in the email statement. "While we continue to develop our plans for growth within the state, it's still too early to anticipate where specifically and the eventual total number of restaurants that we'll operate." Background In-N-Out broke ground on its future eastern territory office in Franklin, Tennessee, in September 2024. In 2023, the company announced its plans to open the first Tennessee restaurants by 2026. "This expansion is significant for our Company," Snyder-Ellingson said in a previous release. "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." The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development shared in 2023 that In-N-Out's investment would create more than 275 new jobs in Williamson County. According to the release, the first In-N-Out Tennessee locations would be in and around Nashville. A December 2024 update from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development mentioned the first Tennessee restaurant will open in Franklin in fall 2025, "followed by its corporate headquarters next door in 2026."