In-N-Out Rejects Mobile Ordering to Preserve Customer Experience

MALIBU, Calif. (Apr. 8, 2026) — Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, the owner and president of In-N-Out Burger, said the company has no plans to introduce online ordering or mobile pickup, emphasizing the brand’s focus on in-person service and quality.

Snyder-Ellingson made the remarks March 31 during a public conversation with Jim Gash at Pepperdine University, where more than 1,000 people gathered on the Malibu campus.

Responding to a question about whether the chain would embrace automation — including app-based ordering — Snyder-Ellingson said the idea has been researched but ultimately rejected.

“We have, for sure, had that put in front of us, and the answer is no,” she said. “The main reason is part of what makes In-N-Out and the experience so special is the interaction and the customer service that we’re able to give, the smile, the greeting. Just that warmth and feeling, the culture. And so, the mobile ordering will definitely take a piece of that away and there’s also the freshness factor.”

Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park, California, In-N-Out has long prioritized quality control and a limited geographic footprint tied to its supply chain for fresh, never-frozen beef. The company resisted rapid expansion for decades, remaining concentrated in Southern California before gradually growing into other Western states.

KTLA reports that the chains footprint has expanded more aggressively in recent years, including a move into Tennessee in late 2025, bringing the total number of states where the chain operates to 10.

In Oregon, In-N-Out opened its first location in 2015 along Crater Lake Highway in north Medford. The restaurant quickly drew large crowds, a pattern that has continued as the company added locations in Roseburg and Grants Pass.

At the Medford site, long drive-thru lines are common, often wrapping around nearby perimeter roads near the Rogue Valley Mall and adjacent retail stores, reflecting the brand’s continued popularity even without digital ordering options.