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Steak ’n Shake is offering a $2.50 “Patriot Milkshake” throughout January, promoting the discount as an early nod to America’s 250th anniversary, according to a post from the company’s X account.
“Steak n Shake is getting a head start on America’s 250th anniversary of its founding,” Steak ‘n Shake wrote on X.
The promotion comes as fast food chains take sharply different approaches to pricing and cost pressures, with some leaning into discounts while others cut locations or warn against relying on promotions to drive traffic.
Steak ’n Shake said in its post that the Patriot Milkshake will be available for $2.50 “all January.”
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The company did not provide additional details about the product beyond its promotional price, but a photo of the milkshake shows patriotic red, white and blue sprinkles and a small American flag on top of the frozen treat.
On Steak ’n Shake’s ordering platform, a regular vanilla shake is listed at $4.99 for an adult or regular size.
The company has not yet said whether the Patriot Milkshake is comparable in size or ingredients to its regular shakes.
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Some chains have opted to scale back as fast food prices have soared of late.
Jack in the Box has closed 72 locations so far as part of a broader turnaround plan and previously said it would shut 150 to 200 underperforming restaurants by 2026, including 80 to 120 locations by the end of this year, FOX Business previously reported.
The company has pointed to multiple challenges, including fewer customers, higher beef prices and elevated debt levels, and reported a net loss of $80.7 million for the fiscal year ending in September.
Other restaurant operators have argued against heavy discounting. Cava co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman told FOX Business that relying on promotions can become a “short-term trap,” adding, “You can’t discount your way to prosperity.”
Steak ’n Shake framed its $2.50 milkshake as part of its early recognition of the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial rather than a broader pricing shift.
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Biglari Holdings, which owns Steak ‘n Shake, did not immediately respond to FOX Business questions about the Patriot Milkshake promotion.
