UPDATE: Is Steak 'n Shake Holding "Over 100,000" Labubus Hostage?
🌍 Prefer another language? This article is also available in English · Español · العربية · 中文 (简体) · हिंदी · Bahasa Melayu—just tap the language switcher in the top‑right corner.
⏰ Fri, Aug 8, 2025 @ 10:30 AM PST
🐟 Published from Seattle, WA, USA
🔨 Built by Chase Burns Broderick
A few weeks ago, struggling American fast food restaurant Steak ‘n Shake—known for its “steakburgers”—rocked the earth out from under US netizens’ feet with this Labubu news:
Last month, Steak ’n Shake announced a massive Labubu giveaway starting August 4, with “over 100,000” dolls allegedly up for grabs.
As I wrote then, this is the same account that’s been tweeting tweets like this—so Steak ‘n Shake’s voice, at least on X, is not exactly accurate.
Seems like a joke.
But it turns out the campaign itself is… not a joke!
(100,000 Labubus, though, is absolutely an exaggeration.)
Steak ‘n Shake says it will give away 10,000 Labubus this summer
The “Summer 2025 Scratch ‘n Win Sweepstakes” at Steak ’n Shake is a legitimate in-store promotion running from August 4 to October 4, 2025, or until all prizes are claimed. You can enter once per day by either making a $15+ purchase at a participating in-store kiosk or requesting a free entry—both entry methods require the same information and award the same odds. Once you enter, you’ll be given a one-time QR code that unlocks a digital scratch-off game, offering an instant win chance. Winners are selected randomly at a rate of approximately 1 in every 200 entries. The company officially reports there are 10,000 Labubu plush toys up for grabs, each valued at $30–$60, totaling an approximate maximum retail value (ARV) of $338,100 across all prizes.
At the moment, it’s unclear how Steak ‘n Shake acquired this many Labubus and if Beijing-based Pop Mart coordinated the effort. Pop Mart isn’t listed as a sponsor. I’ll update if we learn more.
Want to know more about Labubu’s creator? See our Pop Mart Artist Index for bios, key releases, and interviews.
A red “Make Frying Oil Tallow Again” employee hat, part of a recent controversial Steak ’n Shake in-store promotion, sits on a stainless-steel counter in the restaurant’s kitchen area. | Originally surfaced on Reddit’s r/fastfood in a thread discussing a contentious conservative Steak ’n Shake promotion.
Steak ’n Shake doubles down on extremely-online marketing trends
The red “MAKE FRYING OIL TALLOW AGAIN” employee cap in the photo above isn’t random merch—it mirrors copy on Steak ’n Shake’s site: “Making frying oil tallow again was just our first step,” part of a broader pledge to move away from seed oils and fry in 100% beef tallow.
What’s the deal with beef vs seed? Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats and have been widely recommended by health authorities for lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol. However, critics, most notably current United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argue seed oils are overly processed, pro-inflammatory, and linked to obesity trends. This stance runs counter to mainstream nutrition science and is often labeled conspiratorial.
Since early this year, Steak ‘n Shake has loudly marketed a switch to beef tallow—COO Dan Edwards went on TV and literally said “We RFK’d the fries.” The brand also leaned into crypto this year, like trumpeting Bitcoin payments at Bitcoin 2025, which reinforces the same culture-war-adjacent, attention-seeking voice.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits a Steak ’n Shake location, drawing over 13 million views on the chain’s tweet.
Maybe RFK Jr will win a Labubu next?
