Is one of the things that makes California so unmistakably California about to semi-exit the state? More evidence is pointing to yes.
Last year, In-N-Out Burger—the near-mythic fast-food chain that arguably beats out Hollywood and Disneyland on any given tourist’s ranking of must-see first stops in the Golden State—announced it would invest $125 million into building and opening a new corporate hub in Tennessee.
To be clear, it doesn’t appear that In-N-Out intends to give up its Baldwin Park, Calif. headquarters anytime soon. But the chain has long been considered a West Coast-only institution, and particularly a California one at that, making the decision to open a second hub way down south significant.
The somewhat unexpected move to Tennessee has stirred up plenty of rumors and speculation within In-N-Out and beyond. But much like the company’s not-so-secret secret menu, it’s become an open secret that the move is being spearheaded almost exclusively by Lynsi Snyder, the billionaire sole owner and heiress of In-N-Out, who is believed to be interested in relocating her main residence from Los Angeles County to the Nashville area.
Curious about Snyder’s future residential plans, North Hillcrest did a deep dive into property records and discovered plenty of evidence that the billionaire burger queen has already acquired a vast new Tennessee estate. A mysterious LLC with links to Snyder recently paid about $10.8 million in cash for a nearly 2,000-acre ranch due west of Nashville.
Though located in a mostly rural area, the gated and semi-remote compound is still less than 50 miles and commuting distance to Music City and Franklin, Tenn., where the forthcoming In-N-Out offices will be located.
Per the listing, the giant spread is also located less than five miles from a regional airport large enough to accommodate private jets—likely another desirable amenity to Snyder.
Described in the listing as “one of the finest hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities in Middle Tennessee,” the sprawling property includes more than 100 miles of paved roads, dirt trails and secluded pathways. Much of the acreage is densely wooded, providing cover for a diverse wildlife habitat for numerous deer, turkeys and quail. And in the clearings are multiple storage sheds and equipment buildings, the ideal setup for a working ranch.
Current residential facilities on the ranch consist of three separate structures, though it’s entirely possible that Snyder will add more buildings of her own design. Immediately behind is a roughly 5,300-square-foot hunting lodge that appears to be a converted and heavily customized farmhouse.
From the lodge, head due south, where an older log cabin sits atop a hill. We don’t have any photos of the inside of this cabin, but the four-bedroom structure reportedly boasts spectacular views overlooking the ranch’s main valley, in addition to a 4-acre lake stocked with bass, crappie and bluegill.
The third and final house is a modest, roughly 1,900-square-foot residence that sits immediately across the street from the property’s front gate. The listing says this building is a “perfect home for a ranch manager,” but we rather imagine it will eventually be staffed by Snyder’s squad of no-nonsense bodyguards.
But by far the residential standout is the aforementioned hunting lodge, which has been recently renovated and is certainly glitzy and luxurious in its own rough-hewn, rural sort of way.
Animal lovers may want to stop reading this story at this point, because this place gives new meaning to In-N-Out’s trademark “animal style”— it’s packed with enough stuffed turkeys, animal heads and other assorted hunting trophies to make even the most prolific taxidermist blush.
Curious minds wonder if the numerous animal heads and accessories—there’s even what appears to be an antler chandelier on the lodge’s upper level—transferred in the sale to Snyder, or if those were not considered fixtures appurtenant to the structure.
But if you can see beyond all those theatrical decorations, the lodge is otherwise a remarkably attractive and impressively modernized home. On the main floor, the reflection of recessed LED ceiling lights gleams on the polished concrete floors; upstairs, wood floors and vaulted ceilings lend the place a truly cavernous vibe.
The house also features a practically all-new kitchen equipped with loads of counter space, stone countertops and top-of-the-line Wolf and SubZero appliances. And there’s even a funky, throwback-style kitchen pass-through to the dining area, from whence Snyder’s chef can view the wall-mounted hunting trophies while he whips up a gourmet meal.
But perhaps the home’s best feature is the upstairs bar, which is so large and well-equipped that it basically does double-duty as a secondary kitchen.
Somewhat curiously, there are no bedrooms and bathrooms pictured in the ranch’s listing. And the listing description also does not mention how many of those rooms—if any—are located in the hunting lodge, though we have to imagine there’s at least a couple of each.
But the real value here is clearly in the land itself, where nearly 2,000 acres of unspoiled rolling hills, valleys and forests collude to make this property seem like a fairytale wonderland a world away from the bustle of Southern California. If Snyder were to survey her estate from the peak of one the property’s hills, the old “everything the light touches” would apply.
A born and bred Californian, Snyder has resided in L.A.’s San Gabriel Valley for nearly her entire life. About two years ago, she sold her giant Bradbury mansion (above) for $16.3 million to a local tech entrepreneur.
After leaving Bradbury, the 43-year-old and her fourth husband Sean Ellington “downsized,” if you can call it that. Their current main residence is a gated and heavily guarded 2.6-acre estate—complete with a 5,000-square-foot main house, a separate guesthouse and a dedicated guard shack—in the laid-back suburban city of San Dimas, about an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles.
