In-N-Out Oakland Closed Solely Due to Crime

In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder confirmed earlier this week that the Oakland In-N-Out location recently closed in January was because of crime rather than other excuses posited by Oakland officials.

In January 2024, In-N-Out Burger announced that the last remaining franchise location in Oakland would close because of heightened crime, continuing a long trend of businesses closing in the Bay Area.

“We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California, because of ongoing issues with crime. We are grateful for the local community, which has supported us for over 18 years, and we recognize that this closure negatively impacts our Associates and their families,” said Chief Operating Officer Denny Warwick in a statement in January. “Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our Customers and Associates – we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment. Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies.”

Despite the company giving an exact reason, Oakland officials and community leaders repeatedly tried to say that the location closed for other reasons. Some claimed higher costs, while others blamed the new $20 fast food minimum wage. And some, despite the location still being profitable, claimed that the store was in the red.

However, earlier this week, Snyder confirmed that the reason was what they had originally said before – crime. She also revealed just how bad it got, including saying that gunshots had gone through the restaurant.

“I mean, there was a lot,” said Snyder. “There was actually. Gunshots went through the store, there was a stabbing, there was a lot. For the safety of our associates, we just felt like, this is not OK. The site was absolutely dangerous and car burglaries, fights and theft were regular occurrences throughout the year.”

Warwick added that ” Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates were regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies. The police response times were alarming.”

Oakland officials and others who had pointed to others reasons for the restaurants closure, as well as the closure of the only Danny’s in the city that left around the same time for similar reasons, did not respond to the comments this week. However, experts told the Globe that they were not surprised by In-N-Out confirming the reason why once again.

“Oakland has been doing all they can to not lose any more restaurants,” explained Elliot Barnes, a fast food restaurant consultant, to the Globe on Friday. “There are no more In-N-Outs there. There are no more Denny’s. A lot of other chains have been leaving, with only a few locations left. I mean, they even lost some McDonalds’. A lot of places have also closed indoor dining too because of crime.

“This isn’t a surprise that they keep reiterating that high crime is causing all of this. You want to bring people back, you have to work on the crime situation. You have to. But look what they just did. They cut the police budget.

“This is going to get a whole worse before it gets better.”