Beloved American burger chain goes all in on MAGA… and now sales are SOARING
US burger chain Steak 'n Shake has rebranded itself around Donald Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda, ditching seed oils and microwaves in favour of beef tallow, cane sugar and traditional cooking methods. The move, championed by owner Sardar Biglari and a newly created "Chief MAHA Officer", has coincided with a sharp rise in sales, positioning the chain as a commercial test case for whether courting Trump-aligned health politics can pay off for a mainstream fast-food brand.
The chain introduced 100% grass-fed beef burgers in June and now uses 100% beef tallow fries, cane sugar Coca-Cola, Wisconsin butter and A2 whole milk, while removing microwaves from locations across several US states. Biglari told shareholders 2025's performance was "the biggest story of the year", citing a 13% rise in same-store sales, following 10.7% growth the year before. The rebrand has drawn public backing from MAGA-aligned figures including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Elon Musk and Lara Trump, and prompted a Tesla partnership to install superchargers at over 100 of its locations.
- Steak 'n Shake adopts MAHA-style menu: beef tallow, no seed oils, no microwaves
- Same-store sales rose 13% in 2025, following 10.7% growth previously
- Musk, Lara Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene have publicly praised the chain
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Steak 'n Shake is a long-running American burger chain that has recently rebuilt its menu and marketing around ideas linked to Donald Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" campaign, which promotes traditional ingredients over processed alternatives. In practice this has meant swapping seed oils and microwaves for beef tallow, cane sugar and older cooking methods, backed by owner Sardar Biglari and a specially created "Chief MAHA Officer" role.
The change matters because it ties a mainstream fast-food brand directly to a politically charged movement, at a time when "MAHA" is closely associated with Trump-aligned figures rather than being a neutral health trend. Prominent supporters of that movement, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Elon Musk and Lara Trump, have publicly praised the rebrand, and it has also led to a commercial tie-up with Tesla.
The story is being watched as a test of whether openly aligning a consumer brand with a political and cultural movement can help, rather than hurt, business, since Steak 'n Shake's owner has reported strong sales growth since making these changes.