In-N-Out Burger Has Had a Long-Standing Rivalry With Habit Burger & Grill: Now, Its Moving Into NoCal Territory

With In-N-Out Burger planning to expand its operations to the East Coast, a void is being opened on the West Coast that is ready to be filled. Habit Burger & Grill, one of the fast-food chain’s longtime rivals, seems ready to fill the void, if a recent report is to be believed.

Habit Burger Muscling In on In-N-Out Burger Territory?

According to SF Gate, the renowned In-N-Out Burger rival chain Habit Burger & Grill, with its headquarters in Southern California, is planning to open a new outlet in the Mendocino County seat.

The Denny’s location at 105 Pomeroy St., which has been empty since the diner closed in the summer of 2023, is set to become the location of the new eatery. Earlier this month, the building renovation application was formally submitted, and the approval process is currently under progress.

In an email to SF Gate, Jesse Davis, the city of Ukiah’s chief planning manager, stated that UK 105 Investments LLC, Habit Burger’s parent company, applied for a Minor Site Development Permit on Mar. 10.

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“Since the closure of Denny’s in 2023, the City has responded to several inquiries and facilitated multiple pre-development meetings related to the parcel and its signage allowances,” Davis said. “The project is currently scheduled for review by the Design Review Board on March 27, 2025, which will provide a recommendation to the City’s Zoning Administrator. That hearing is anticipated to take place in mid-April.”

However, the longtime In-N-Out Burger rival will not be at the location until sometime in 2026, and that’s only if all of the plans are approved and everything is built out according to schedule. “The Ukiah location isn’t slated to open until early 2026,” said Kathy Kwon, who works for Karsha Chang Public Relations, which represents Habit Burger.

But the rivalry between In-N-Out Burger and Habit Burger & Grill is seen as a chance to stimulate the local economy. “As a rural community, attracting businesses like Habit Burger and Hobby Lobby isn’t just about adding new shopping and dining options—it’s about creating opportunities for our local businesses to thrive,” said Mo Mulheren, Second District supervisor, to the outlet.

“Increased foot traffic means more customers exploring our unique boutiques, restaurants, and services, strengthening our local economy. By welcoming well-known retailers while continuing to support our small businesses, we can build a balanced and vibrant marketplace that benefits everyone,” Mulheren added.

The Popular Burger Chain Is Expanding to Tennessee

Meanwhile, In-N-Out Burger continues its expansion eastward, with 35 more locations in Tennessee announced last month.

At the Feb. 4 Nashville Business Breakfast, which was organized by Lipscomb University and the Business Journal, Lynsi Snyder, the company’s heiress owner, acknowledged that she “fell in love” with Tennessee, according to the Nashville Business Journal.

Later this year, In-N-Out will open its first site in Tennessee in Franklin, despite Snyder’s earlier insistence that she would never expand the restaurant this far east. At the same time, its corporate “eastern headquarters” are also being constructed in Williamson County.

“[My husband] just started talking about Tennessee, and then God started working on my heart. I started bringing it to the office, ‘I think we’re supposed to go to Tennessee,’” Snyder-Ellingson said during the event. “It was really just a God thing. And then of course the more I’ve come here, I’ve fallen in love with really the whole state, but there’s something very quaint about especially the Franklin area.”

With an average of 100 employees per In-N-Out Burger location, Snyder estimates that the restaurants might generate 3,500 jobs in Tennessee alone. When the $126 million, more than 100,000-square-foot Franklin office opens in 2026, it will have about 200 employees. According to Snyder, the company is still choosing which jobs to fill.