The Rise of Steak n Shake Through Political and Dietary Shifts
Steak n Shake has made a remarkable turnaround by leaning into political and dietary trends, offering perks for Tesla drivers and cooking fries in beef tallow instead of seed oils. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Midwest-based burger chain is successfully reviving its business by targeting Trump supporters and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Last year’s same-store sales jumped 10.2%, with visitor traffic increasing by 5.8%.
Tallow Fries and Real Food: The MAHA Menu Makeover
The strategy shift includes replacing vegetable oils with beef tallow for fries, utilizing grass-fed beef for burgers, eliminating microwaves, and serving Mexican Coca-Cola made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. While the MAHA movement targets seed oils like soybean, corn, and canola as health hazards, nutritionists debate whether beef tallow is genuinely healthier due to its high saturated fat content. Meanwhile, food costs for corporate stores rose to 33.3% of sales in the second quarter, up from 30.2% the previous year.
Political Branding and the Future of Fast Food
Beyond the menu, Steak n Shake has introduced Bitcoin payment options, employee Bitcoin bonuses, and ‘Tesla Tallow Tuesday’ promotions. Once facing bankruptcy in 2021 after years of declining sales since 2016, the chain has bounced back as conservative consumers increasingly reject ultra-processed foods. However, Bloomberg notes potential policy paradoxes, as cuts to food assistance programs may make these healthier, higher-quality food options less accessible to lower-income Americans.
