It looks like In-N-Out Burger really won't come to the East Coast any time soon

• In-N-Out's president, Lynsi Snyder, told NBC's "Today" she had no plans to expand to the East Coast.
• The Californian cult burger chain has about 400 chains in eight states.

East Coast fans of In-N-Out Burger have been waiting with bated breath for the cult burger chain to announce its expansion to their part of the country — and they'll be disappointed by Lynsi Snyder's recent interview with NBC's "Today".

NBC's Savannah Sellers recalled how Snyder, who's the president of In-N-Out and the granddaughter of its founders, said the chain had no plans to launch on the East Coast.

"I of course had to ask about expanding to the East Coast," Sellers said, adding: "Lynsi said as long as she's around, the answer is 'probably never.'"

Snyder's grandparents opened the first In-N-Out location as a burger stand in Baldwin Park, Los Angeles County, California, in 1948.

The chain opened its first non-California restaurant in Las Vegas in 1992. It's since expanded to six more states: Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho. It has about 400 restaurants in total.

In-N-Out has announced plans to open restaurants in New Mexico and Tennessee, too, and it confirmed to "Today" that it was also coming to Washington State.

The first Tennessee restaurant in Nashville is expected to open in 2026, which is set to be the furthest east that the chain will have expanded.

When new In-N-Out restaurants open, they're typically met with a massive fanfare. Some fans camped out overnight in the cold weather for the opening of its first Idaho location in December 2023.

Business Insider has approached In-N-Out for comment on why it doesn't plan to expand to the East Coast.

In-N-Out doesn't use franchisees

BI reported last year that to expand into new states, In-N-Out might have to build new distribution and beef-production facilities first.

Because the chain has a strict policy of no freezers and no microwaves, restaurants must be within a certain distance of the company's distribution facilities, meaning it can't always rely on pre-existing facilities in other states.

In-N-Out's geographic spread is also limited by its refusal to launch a franchise business, which Snyder reiterated during her interview with "Today."

Franchise restaurants can help chains expand in new areas because the franchisees take on most of the development cost and generally have knowledge of the local market.

Most major fast-food chains — including McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway — have used franchising to expand their empires. At McDonald's, 95% of its US restaurants are franchised.

Snyder also told "Today" that In-N-Out would "absolutely" stay a private company while she remained in charge.

Are you a fast-food worker excited about California's new $20 minimum wage for limited-service restaurants? Or a franchisee or restaurant manager worried about how it will affect your business? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com.