In-N-Out Burger has confirmed TV reports that it has raised its prices in California.
California’s minimum wage hike for fast food workers, which kicked in on April 1, was a factor in the price hike, according to Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick.
“On April 1st, we raised our prices incrementally to accompany a pay raise for all of the Associates working in our California restaurants,” he said in a statement. “The price increase was also necessary to maintain our quality standards.”
Warnick said In-N-Out’s starting wage in California is $22 to $23 per hour, depending on location. At its most recent opening, in Jurupa Valley on May 31, the wage was $22 per hour.
The minimum wage rose to $20 for fast food workers following the passage of Assembly Bill 1228, which affects more than 550,000 employees and about 30,000 restaurants in the state, officials said.
In an April interview on the “Today” show, owner and president Lynsi Snyder told Savannah Sellers she fought to keep price increases modest.
“I was sitting in VP meetings going toe-to-toe saying, ‘We can’t raise the prices that much, we can’t. Because it felt like such an obligation to look out for our customers,’” Snyder said in the interview.
Double-Doubles are selling for $5.90 to $6.05 in California, Sellers reported.
A meal at In-N-Out with a Double-Double, fries and soft drink runs $10.45 in Irvine, where In-N-Out’s headquarters are located, according to a commentary by Matt Quan published Sunday in the Orange County Register. Quan has a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Southern California. Online sources suggest $9 was a going rate a few months ago. They include photos of menu boards, receipts posted on the In-N-Out Enthusiasts Facebook page and websites claiming to track In-N-Out prices.
In-N-Out is a California brand. It was founded in Baldwin Park in 1948, and 275 of the 402 open locations listed on its website are in the state. Five of 12 locations under construction are in California, and three are in Southern California, in Sylmar, Redlands and Orange.
In-N-Out made its “first ever” permanent closure in Oakland in late March, citing crime in the area.
Information: in-n-out.com
