Steak 'n Shake's new 'Chief MAHA Officer' teases RFK Jr-inspired menu shift
FIRST ON FOX — Steak ‘n Shake will switch to grass-fed beef at all of its locations by June 1, the fast food chain's newly-appointed "Chief MAHA Officer" Michael Boes exclusively told Fox News Digital.
The move comes after Steak 'n Shake sought to align with the "Make America Healthy Again" priorities of the Trump administration last year by switching to beef tallow instead of seed oils in their fryers.
"There are a lot of health benefits that I could get into in regard to grass-fed beef and non-grass-fed beef, but the reality is we think it tastes better," Boes said in an interview just days after his new role was announced. "We tested it out in local markets and the customers reiterated that desire to go that route."
It's unclear whether the switch to grass-fed beef might result in an increase in the chain’s pricing amid soaring beef prices.
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The move further bolsters the company’s previous efforts to align itself with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAGA agenda.
At the outset of President Donald Trump’s second term, Steak ‘n Shake announced it would start cooking its french fries in beef tallow — raising alarm among health advocates and praise from those who denounce seed-based oils.
Kennedy praised the switch at the time, saying he hoped more companies would follow suit. He confirmed HHS under his leadership would not ban use of seed oils but would allow companies to respond to consumer priorities.
"I have a libertarian outlook. People should be able to make their own choices. If you want to eat a donut or seed oils, you should be able to," Kennedy told Fox News during a visit to a Florida Steak ‘n Shake location in March 2025.
"We want to do everything that we can to incentivize these companies to be transparent, to switch over from ultra-processed food and to be part of this movement to make America healthier," Kennedy added.
Boes’ new position, which the company says is "dedicated to advancing nutritional integrity, ingredient transparency and the healthiness of our products," furthers the company’s alignment with RFK Jr.'s aims.
Before making history as the world's first "Chief MAHA Officer," Boes worked as a senior advisor at HHS.
When speaking with Fox News Digital, Boes said he got sign-off from Kennedy before using the MAHA moniker for his new role.
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"During my time serving Sec. Kennedy, I had countless conversations with industry partners about returning to real food," Boes said in a post to LinkedIn on Tuesday.
"Time and again, I heard the same hesitation: 'Our customers aren't demanding this.' Steak 'n Shake challenged that narrative and growth followed. Fast food doesn't have to mean processed, complicated or artificial. It used to mean real, simple and delicious — and it can again."
Boes did not say when asked by Fox News Digital whether the change to all grass-fed and grass-finished beef on June 1 could result in an uptick in pricing for Steak 'n Shake.
The conflict in Iran — and specifically the closure of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route — is resulting in a bottleneck in getting oil and other fuels out of the Middle East, which is driving up the costs of beef and a myriad of other products.
Fox News Digital's Katelyn Caralle contributed to this report.