It’s no exaggeration to say In-N-Out Burger is a bona fide California institution. Founded in California and made famous in California, it’s as much of an iconic treasure as the Hollywood Sign, Golden Gate Bridge, Pacific Coast Highway, and Rodeo Drive.
Chances are if you don’t live in California, you either made a beeline to one of the locations once your plane landed at LAX, or you know someone who has done that. I know people (more than 3) that had missed flights leaving town because they had to get their one last fix of In-N-Out before they went home.
You would think that the State of California might treat the franchise like the good corporate citizens they are, right? Not in 2021, where executives of the burger chain are wondering if homeless people and criminals are treated better by state and municipal governments than they are.
Well, someone who also feels that way is the Chief Financial Officer of the State of Florida. His name is Jimmy Patronis, and he is about as savvy of a politician as there is. When he saw how several In-N-Out locations throughout California had been forced to shut down because employees have not actively forced customers to show proof that they are vaccinated for COVID, he saw an opportunity. For his state and In-N-Out.
Patronis wrote a letter to CEO Lynsi Snyder and urged her to consider moving her entire operation to the State of Florida, where she would find low corporate taxes, no personal income taxes, and absolutely no state mandates.
Here’s an excerpt from the letter that Epoch Times showcased in a report.
“I’m writing you today not only as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, but as a small business owner who grew up in a family-owned restaurant and worked there for more than 30 years. I know how hard it is to turn a profit and make payroll on a good day, let alone when your own government is working to crush your business with absurd mandates. Once I heard the news of your shutdown for refusing to act as ‘vaccine police,’ I knew I had to reach out immediately.”
Contra Costa County has been very aggressive going after In-N-Out locations. They’ve suspended the food permit of one location this week “for creating a public health hazard by repeatedly violating a county health order intended to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.”
The offer is on the table. Will In-N-Out be the next California institution to load up moving trucks to get away from a very tough business climate?
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