In-N-Out announced Tuesday that it will enter a new market in New Mexico, a rare, but increasingly common move for the decades-old family chain.
The burger brand is in the early stages of planning its first restaurants in the state. Openings in Albuquerque should happen by 2027. Expansion into other cities are expected beyond that. In-N-Out will use a distribution facility in Colorado Springs to deliver products to the upcoming New Mexico locations.
“Growth into New Mexico is an important milestone for us,” president and owner Lynsi Snyder said in a statement. “We’ve heard from many loyal In-N-Out customers there through the years, wondering if we would ever open restaurants in their communities, especially after opening locations further to the east. It was only a matter of when, once we had the infrastructure and support in place. I’m excited that our customers won’t have to travel to a nearby state for an In-N-Out Burger for much longer.”
In the more immediate future, In-N-Out has a restaurant planned for Meridian, Idaho, which also will be a new market. The 394-unit cult-favorite brand hasn’t entered a new state since Colorado in 2020. It journeyed into Texas in 2011 and Oregon in 2015. The completely corporately owned chain also owns units in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.
Earlier this year, In-N-Out revealed that it would open its first location east of Texas in the Nashville market by 2026. The move will be backed by a $125.5 million investment to build a 100,000-square-foot corporate office in Franklin, Tennessee. Construction on this building—which will house operations management, human resources, and IT—will start by late 2024 and finish by 2026. This particular decision is counter to what Snyder said previously. She once told Forbes in 2018 that In-N-Out would “Take Texas—draw a line up and just stick to the left. That’s in my lifetime.” But her philosophy has changed since then, stating in January that “I have no doubt that my grandparents, dad and uncle would be proud of this decision” to enter Nashville.
Founded in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder, In-N-Out claims to be California’s first drive-thru hamburger stand.
