Billionaire In N Out heiress speaks out about controversial price hike

• In-N-Out Burger president Lynsi Snyder, 41, spoke about her role in the business 
• She says she went ‘toe to toe’ in meetings against raising the price of menu items
• California fast food workers started making a minimum of $20 an hour on April 1 

With fast food prices increasing around the country, the president of In-N-Out Burger has insisted their menu costs won’t go up any time soon.

Lynsi Snyder, who became the president of In-N-Out Burger at just 27 years old, has spoken out against the price hikes affecting fast food outlets, following the minimum wage being raised to $20 per hour in California.

Lynsi, who is the last remaining blood relative of Esther and Harry Snyder who started the famous fast-food chain in 1948, has staunchly railed against any nepo baby criticisms about her place in the multi-billion dollar company.

The now 41-year-old burger heiress revealed she started her career at In-N-Out working in the restaurant just like any other employee – even waiting for two hours just to get an interview at at their location in Redding, California.

Lynsi Snyder, who became the president of In-N-Out Burger at just 27 years old, has spoken out against the price hikes affecting fast food outlets

Lynsi is the last remaining blood relative of Esther and Harry Snyder who started the famous fast-food chain in 1948

‘I think that there is a stigma that can come with being the owner’s kid,’ Lynsi admitted in an interview with Today.

‘And just wanting to be respected, I was doing it the right way and not having special treatment,’ she explained to NBC’s Savannah Seller.

Menu prices at fast food chains across California recently increased after a new law enforcing a $20-an-hour minimum wage for workers took effect.

The controversial wage hike – 25 per cent or $4 more than for any other job – has been hailed as a big win for fast food workers trying to make a living in an expensive state.

Despite the increase, Lynsi says she fought hard to keep price increases for customers at a minimum.

‘I was sitting in VP meetings going toe to toe saying we can’t raise the prices that much. We can’t,’ she recalled.

‘Because I felt such an obligation to look out for our customer. When everyone else was taking these jumps, we weren’t.’

According to the New York Post, at In-N-Out Burger, burgers are increasing around 25 cents with sodas going up a nickel.

Since its founding in California by Snyder’s grandparents, Harry (right) and Esther Snyder (left), which started as a small drive-thru burger stand, it has gradually expanded to one of the most lucrative food chains with more than 400 locations across the country

The stress of running the business and the sudden loss of his brother pushed Guy back into alcohol and drug use

Behind the rise of In-N-Out burger are struggles with drug and alcohol, a history of child abuse and shocking deaths of family members. Pictured from left to right: Guy, Esther, and Rich Snyder

Lynsi became one of the youngest billionaires with a $4.2 billion net, after taking over the company in 2010 and inheriting full control in 2017.

She recalled when she first became president of In-N-Out, admitting it took awhile to become confident in the role.

‘In the earlier days, I actually wore pant suits, and I did that because I felt like I was supposed to,’ Lynsi admitted.

‘And then I finally just was confident in who I am and who I’m not,’ she explained. ‘You are going to get judged either way. So you might as well be judged for who you are.’

The burger heiress also spoke about erring on the side of caution when it comes to embracing technology in their restaurants, not wanting to impact the experience for the customer experience.

‘No to mobile ordering because that impacts the service experience,’ she said thoughtfully.

‘There are a lot of things that could be cheaper, easier, but that’s not the system we go through,’ she said.

In-N-Out Burger was founded in California by Lynsi’s grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, in 1948.

The now famous chain started as a small drive-thru burger stand, it has gradually expanded to one of the most lucrative food chains with more than 400 locations across the country.

But the rise of In-N-Out Burger is marred with tragedy, including family struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, a history of child abuse and shocking deaths of family members.

Lynsi delved into the iconic burger chain’s history – and the devastation that surrounds it – in her book: The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger.

By the time her grandfather Harry died in 1976, In-N-Out had expanded to 18 locations in Southern California. His youngest son, Rich Snyder, took over the business.

According to Lynsi, Harry struggled with the responsibility of fatherhood after suffering abuse as a child and went on to abuse his own two children.

Lynsi’s own father Guy suffered a tragic accident when he was 26, after a friend’s motorcycle landed on top of him and crushed his arms having flown over a cliff during a race in the desert.

This led to his overuse of prescription drugs that helped ease the pain. He was prescribed Vicodin and continued using a variety of opiates before and after Lynsi was born.

Despite the increase of the minimum wage for workers in California increasing in menu price hikes in other fast food chains, Lynsi says she fought hard to keep price increases at a minimum

Lynsi says the expansion of In-N-out has been slow but steady – but doesn’t plan to open locations all over America

His brother Rich, who was at the helm of the business during that time, struggled with drug problems too, including occasional cocaine use and an addiction to diet pills.

Rich passed away while traveling home after the opening of In-N-Out’s 93rd location in Fresno, when his 10-passenger plane crashed with no survivors.

The stress of running the business and the sudden loss of his brother pushed Guy back into alcohol and drug use. Guy died of an accidental overdose of hydrocodone when he was 48. Snyder was 17 at that time, not even graduated from high school.

After becoming president of In-N-Out in 2010, and taking full control of the company in 2017, Lynsi says the expansion has been slow but steady – but doesn’t plan to open locations all over America.

‘I don’t see us stretched across the whole U.S. I don’t see us in every state. Take Texas – draw a line up and just stick to the left. That’s in my lifetime,’ she explained.

‘I like that we’re sought after when someone’s coming into town,’ she shared. ‘I like that we’re unique. That we’re not on every corner. You put us in every state, and it takes away some of its luster.’

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