Why In-N-Out Burger Announced Its First-Ever Store Closure

The good news is that In-N-Out Burger is OK. They're still going to be making great food for their fans.

The bad news is that the beloved burger chain, voted number six on America's Best Places to Work, is closing its Oakland location.

Oakland, California

Oakland has just one In-N-Out Burger restaurant location. Situated near the Oakland International Airport, the restaurant enjoyed rather profitable sales.

Unfortunately, the surrounding area is rife with armed robberies, car break-ins, and other localized crimes that have forced the executives of one of America's favorite burger joints to close this location.

X Gets the Deets

Denny Warnick, Chief Operating Officer for In-N-Out Burger, explained the closure decision in a statement that was also posted to their X account.

“We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California due to ongoing issues with crime,” Warnick said.

He noted that the “top priority must be the safety and well-being of our customers and associates.”

Best Efforts

Warnick lamented that the company had done everything possible to save the location. “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,” he explained.

Warnick added, “We cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment.”

Any employee who worked at the Oakland, California, location can transfer to a different In-N-Out Burger location. If relocation isn't possible, the employee can negotiate a severance package with the company.

Not the First

In-N-Out Burger isn't the first restaurant or business to shutter its doors. Starbucks and Subway have also closed locations in the Oakland area due to constant issues with crime. Raising Cane's, a fast-food joint specializing in chicken fingers, also closed up shop after repeatedly dealing with car break-ins and other crimes near and at their restaurant.

Police Presence

The Oakland Police Department is working with the Oakland Port Authority and the airport to increase the number of security guards in the area. It has also increased the number of patrols but to little effect.

From January 1 to November 12, 2023, the police received 11,991 crime reports in the area. With a 32% increase over the same period in 2022, it's no wonder restaurants are closing down all over Oakland.

Continued Support

Warnick said that In-N-Out Burger has a “history of supporting the Oakland community through charitable giving that predates the opening of our location there.”

He added, “Although we will no longer do business there, we will continue to support local charitable organizations in Oakland through our In-N-Out Burger Foundation and Slave 2 Nothing Foundation.”

Through its foundations, In-N-Out Burger looks to help community members fight addiction and end human trafficking.

It's a shame to see one of America's favorite fast-food hangout locations close due to localized crime. Here's to hoping people in Oakland will still be able to enjoy the food and beverage companies they desire without needing to go out of their way.