Owner of closed In-N-Out location slams authorities after restaurant forced to shut following shootings and break-ins

Regarding the closure of the well-liked burger chain’s Oakland outlet earlier this year, the owner of In-N-Out has spoken out.

For the first time in its 75-year history, In-N-Out made national headlines in January when it announced that one of its restaurants would be permanently closing.

The burger chain’s operating officer at the time, Denny Warnick, blamed “ongoing issues with crime” in the region for the closing of the Oakland site.

The business formally left the city on March 24 when it permanently closed its location near Oakland International Airport.

The site operated for almost twenty years.

Lynsi Snyder, the CEO of In-N-Out, has now revealed the reasons behind the problematic location and the company’s decision to shut down operations in Oakland, over a year after the restaurant shuttered.

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The 42-year-old Snyder described the location as “absolutely dangerous.”

The CEO said that theft, fighting, and auto burglaries were common at the In-N-Out restaurant in Oakland.

Snyder said, “I mean, there was a lot,” to Marissa Streit at a recent PragerU’s Real Talkshow broadcast.

“In fact, there were numerous incidents, including stabbings and gunfire that rang through the store.

“For the safety of our associates, we just felt like this was not OK.”

A request for comment was not immediately answered by In-N-Out.

The burger company claimed to have looked for several options in an effort to save the establishment and guarantee the security of both its patrons and staff.

In January, Warnick, the company’s operating officer, stated, “Our customers and associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies, despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions.”

“We feel the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our customers and associates leave us no alternative.”

Warnick called the now-closed establishment “busy and profitable.”

The business, however, stated that it was not permitted to request that its clients or staff “visit or work in an unsafe environment.”

On the show, Snyder also said that the response time of the Oakland restaurant’s police to 911 calls was “alarming.”

The almost 100 workers who were impacted by the closure were either given severance pay or moved to a nearby In-N-Out restaurant in San Francisco.

In-N-Out’s full statement

The complete statement from In-N-Out regarding their decision to close their last Oakland restaurant permanently in March.

Because of persistent criminality, we have decided to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California. Our Customers and Associates are frequently the victims of theft, armed robberies, property damage, and auto break-ins despite our constant efforts to make the environment safer. We will be closing our Oakland office on Sunday, March 24, 2024.

“We acknowledge that this closure has a detrimental effect on our Associates and their families, and we are thankful for the support of the local community, which has been there for us for more than 18 years. Our primary priority must be the safety and well-being of our customers and associates; we cannot ask them to visit or operate in a dangerous environment. This site is still busy and profitable for the business.

“Any impacted Associates will either receive a severance package or have the option to transfer to a nearby In-N-Out store.

“Even before our Oakland restaurant opened, In-N-Out Burger had a tradition of giving back to the community through philanthropic donations. Through our In-N-Out Burger Foundation and Slave 2 Nothing Foundation, we will continue to support Oakland’s local philanthropic groups even though we will no longer be conducting business there.

Warnick, Denny

Office of Chief Operations.

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