Steak 'n Shake Makes Buns Seed-Oil Free at 400 Stores, Using Wisconsin Butter

Q: How will Steak 'n Shake's premium switch to grass-fed beef and real butter impact the price of your favorite burger?

It may raise burger prices somewhat over time, but Steak ’n Shake is signaling that it will try to keep increases limited. Grass-fed, grass-finished beef and real butter typically cost more than conventional beef, commodity oils and standard commercial bun formulas. Beef tallow for frying also tends to be pricier and less common in large-scale fast food operations. So from a food-cost standpoint, these changes usually put upward pressure on menu prices. That said, Steak ’n Shake has not announced a broad burger price hike tied to the ingredient switch. In its own messaging, the chain has stressed “affordable prices” even while promoting the upgraded ingredients. That suggests the company may be willing to absorb part of the higher cost, offset it through marketing, menu mix, or portion economics, or raise prices selectively rather than across the board. For customers, the most likely near-term outcome is not a dramatic jump in the cost of a favorite burger, but a risk of modest increases if higher ingredient costs persist. Premium or newly promoted items, such as the Protein Steakburger, are more likely to reflect the upgraded sourcing than entry-level value burgers. So the practical answer is: expect possible small price pressure, not an immediate or confirmed major increase. Until Steak ’n Shake publishes new menu pricing market by market, the exact impact on any specific burger remains unclear.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 6

Steak 'n Shake said Monday that all burger buns across its roughly 400 U.S. locations are now seed-oil free and coated with pure Grade AA Wisconsin butter.
The change extends the chain's ingredient overhaul tied to the MAHA movement, which it says favors real ingredients over synthetic additives.
In June, Steak 'n Shake switched to grass-fed beef and began frying chicken tenders, onion rings and tots in 100% beef tallow; it also highlights cane sugar Coca-Cola and a2 milk on its website.
The move drew praise on social media, including from Rep. Nancy Mace, even as the broader nutrition debate remains unsettled: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized seed oils, while the American Heart Association says there is no reason to avoid them.