First the buns, now the beef: another Shake Shack supplier has MAGA ties
The top executive of a Shake Shack meat supplier is an active financial backer of former president Donald Trump. FEC records show that Tom Richards, President of Richards Grassfed Beef, has given thousands of dollars to Trump’s campaign and to the Winred PAC, which supports GOP congressional candidates.
In June, it was widely reported that the owners of Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls, which supplies Shake Shack’s buns, are heavy contributors to extremist, right-wing candidates. At the time, Shake Shack said that Martin’s doesn’t share its values, but refused to break ties with the vendor. It made that decision despite numerous public commitments in which the company claims to only work with like-minded partners, going so far as to say, “We source our world-class ingredients from the best suppliers out there who all share our values.”
With this latest information about the MAGA connections of a Shake Shack meat supplier, that pledge seems about as strong as a soggy French fry.
In its 2021 “Stand for Something Good” report, Shake Shack highlights its partnership with Richards, saying it is committed to “working with like-minded farmers and partners, including Richards Grassfed.” The website for Richards (which is rebranding to Richards Regenerative) lists Tom Richards as President and, on his LinkedIn page, Richards’ lists himself as General Partner of Richards Land & Cattle Company, which he says “launched the Richards Grassfed Beef brand.” Richards is also a Vice President at Salesforce.
Federal Election Commission shows that, since September 2019, Richards has been a frequent donor to Donald Trump and the GOP – making 15 political contributions, with 10 going to Trump and five going to the Winred PAC. On his twitter account, Richards calls Obamacare “Orwellian control” of health care and expresses support for Republican candidates running against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In the same Stand for Something Good report in which it highlights Richards, Shake Shack brags about its “strong history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community” and its “diversity, equity, and inclusion goals,” and says it is “committed to doing the right thing…We challenge ourselves, hold each other accountable and take care of one another.”
And yet, Shake Shack is knowingly working with suppliers that support the politics of division, hate, and bigotry. In June, when the company was confronted with this glaring contradiction regarding its partnership with Martins, the furthest it would go was to say that it is in “active conversations…to express our concern.”
Shake Shack is part of Union Square Hospitality Group, which is run by renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer. However in September he is handing over the reigns to current COO Chip Wade. Only time will tell if Wade changes the course set by Meyer and decides to actually hold Shake Shack accountable to its stated principles.