TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — After talks of iconic West Coast burger chain In-N-Out possibly making its way to the Sunshine State, it looks like the company is staying out of Florida for now.
Gov. Ron DeSantis had a call Monday with In-N-Out Burger president Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, according to his office's daily schedule. While the exact details of the two's chat aren't laid out in the release, the governor's spokesperson Christina Pushaw said the two held a "productive conversation" about opening locations in Florida.
However, the company later clarified that it has no plans to move its headquarters or open any restaurants in the state.
“The phone call was at the request of Gov. DeSantis and the primary purpose was to establish a business relationship. During that call, Gov. DeSantis graciously invited In-N-Out Burger to do business in the state of Florida. While we are thankful for the gracious invitation, In-N-Out Burger has no plans or intention to expand operations or move its corporate headquarters to Florida,” In-N-Out Burger Chief Legal and Business Officer Arnie Wensinger said in a statement to 10 Tampa Bay.
Last month, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said he'd be "honored" to help the restaurant chain "find the perfect place to start a new In-N-Out story right here in Florida" after reports surfaced that an In-N-Out Burger in San Francisco was forced to close after it didn't follow the city's proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
And after learning that In-N-Out has no plans to expand, Patronis said Wednesday he's not giving up on the effort.
Last month, In-N-Out closed all five of its dining rooms in Contra Costa County, California, because it did not want to comply with local health mandates.
"We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government," Arnie Wensinger, the chain’s chief legal and business officer, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, in part.
It's the sort of position that mirrors the views of the DeSantis administration, which recently announced the state is suing the federal government on multiple fronts, including its vaccine-or-test rule for large employers and vaccine mandate for federal workers and contractors.
Florida lawmakers will return to Tallahassee on Nov. 15 for a special legislative session to restrain some of the federal orders.