Jenny Davis-Boyd
CKE Restaurants reveals an estimated 845,000 more hens are now out of cages.
CKE Restaurants, the parent company of popular fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, has finally reported progress for animals for both brands. In a significant win for chickens, CKE has announced that both Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are making strides toward their long-standing commitment to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs—and sparing hens from extreme confinement.
This is a huge win for the welfare of egg-laying hens, as Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are both ranked within the top 50 biggest US restaurants by annual sales. These two brands collectively operate over 3,800 locations across 44 US states and 35 countries worldwide. We estimate that their menus rely on eggs laid by approximately 1,300,000 hens every year in the US alone—making CKE's recent announcement a meaningful step towards protecting these birds from acute cruelty. Based on its recent progress update, 845,000 more hens are out of cages, and when CKE reaches its 100% cage-free goal, this figure will rise to 1,300,000 hens each year!
The journey to this achievement began nearly a decade ago, back in 2016, when CKE (an acronym for Carl Karcher Enterprises) promised consumers it would spare hens from one of the most extreme—and absolutely avoidable—forms of abuse by transitioning to 100% cage-free eggs by 2025. Competitors like Jack in the Box and Dairy Queen have transparently reported progress towards similar pledges for years, and McDonald's, Shake Shack, and Taco Bell have already succeeded in completely eliminating battery cages from their operations.
But CKE remained silent for years—until recently.
Thanks to sustained pushes from the public, CKE finally recognized the importance of transparency and accountability. In October 2024, CKE reported significant strides towards sparing hens from cruel confinement:
- Carl's Jr. celebrated an early success in July 2024 by reaching its goal to be 100% cage-free in the US, more than a year ahead of schedule.
- CKE revealed that, as of September 2024, 40% of Hardee's egg volume in the US is now cage-free, with plans for further expansion to achieve 100% cage-free by 2025.
- Globally, CKE's total egg volume across both brands is currently 5% cage-free.
Following weeks of pressure from grassroots advocates—including protests, petitions, and coverage in a newspaper based in CKE's hometown of Franklin, Tennessee—CKE finally demonstrated accountability by publicly sharing its progress towards its cage-free goals.
With more and more food companies eliminating battery cages, one of the most prolific and prolonged forms of animal abuse is becoming a relic of the past. In the past 10 years, in the US, the number of hens confined to horrific cages has fallen by 100 million. That's 100 million fewer animals condemned to lives of extreme suffering.
As the public continues to push for change, CKE's actions show that leading restaurant brands can and should prioritize the welfare of animals in their supply chains. By listening to the concerns of consumers and advocates, and taking concrete steps to eradicate extreme forms of abuse, CKE is setting an important example for the food industry. A more compassionate food system is possible.
