Will In-N-Out increases prices in face of California minimum age law?
In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder is committed to protecting prices at the West Coast’s favorite burger chain.
In a new TODAY interview, Snyder told NBC’s TODAY show that private business won’t see a drastic price increase in California after the state’s new minimum wage law. The Fast Act took effect April 1, giving fast food workers a starting wage of $20 an hour, up from the previous standard of $16.
“I was sitting in vice president meetings and saying, ‘We can’t raise prices that much, we can’t,’” Snyder said. “Because I felt such an obligation to look out for our customers.”
Snyder also said the company would not explore mobile ordering options because they hamper the customer service experience. She also expressed no interest in franchising or transitioning to a publicly traded company.
An In-N-Out restaurant in Los Angeles recently raised the prices of a hamburger by 25 cents and a drink by 5 cents, the New York Post reported.
McDonald’s and Chipotle executives announce price hikes
Snyder’s insistence that In-N-Out won’t raise prices departs from the approach some competitors took after the Fast Act took effect.
In a conference call in November, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company would raise prices to offset wage increases, reduce restaurant costs and improve productivity.
“There will definitely be a short-term hit to franchisee cash flow in California,” Kempczinski said. “It’s hard to know exactly what that hit will be due to some mitigation efforts.” But there will be success.”
During Chipotle’s conference call that month, Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung said the Mexican steakhouse chain planned to raise California prices by a “mid to high single-digit” percentage, but clarified that a “final decision” had not yet been made.
Late last year, two major Pizza Hut operators announced plans to lay off more than 1,200 delivery drivers in the state before the Fast Act took effect, according to Business Insider.
News Source : www.usatoday.com
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