Steak ‘n Shake is breaking up with the microwave, USA Today reports. The burger-and-shake chain says every location will ditch the device by April 15 as part of a push to make its food taste better and be cooked using “traditional methods” only, per a social media announcement posted Thursday. “Quality restaurants don’t need microwaves,” the Indianapolis-based company declared, adding, “Eat Real Food.” (As the Independent reports, the move sparked some customers to wonder why the chain even had microwaves in the first place, seeing as their main offerings are burgers, fries, and milkshakes.) The move is the latest in a series of changes the chain has tied to health and quality since aligning itself with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” or “MAHA” campaign.
Other changes include switching from seed oils to beef tallow for frying, which RFK Jr. has long called for, and offering Coca-Cola with cane sugar in glass bottles—a move it said would help the chain “continue on our MAHA journey.” Kennedy has thanked the fast-food chain, which has 390 locations in the US according to Fox News, for its “leadership in the crusade to Make America Healthy Again.” Some nutrition experts don’t share his enthusiasm: registered dietitian Kristina Cooke told USA Today she wouldn’t advise trading seed oils for beef tallow, citing its saturated fat and links to higher cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular issues.
