Biglari Holdings.
BH.US | Activities of holding companies
Biglari Holdings Inc. is a holding company that operates a diversified range of businesses. Its primary operations include the Steak n Shake restaurant chain, which is a significant contributor to its revenue. Other businesses include insurance (casualty, property, and life), media (magazines and ne...Show More
Better Health for All
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The company's restaurant operations have caused severe health damage. A 2002 Salmonella outbreak at a Western Sizzlin' restaurant resulted in 369 reported illnesses, with specific food items testing positive.
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In 2019, a Hepatitis A outbreak was linked to an employee at another restaurant.
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Between 2017 and 2019, a Steak 'n Shake location in Middletown faced 21 inspections, accumulating 296 violations, including 36 critical ones, leading to a two-week license suspension.
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Another Steak 'n Shake in Columbus recorded 22 critical violations across three inspections in early 2019, failing to correct repeated issues such as unsafe food temperatures, lack of sanitizer, mold on equipment, and cross-contamination.
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Additionally, a Western Sizzlin' in Pooler scored 74 on a 2025 inspection due to violations like inadequate handwashing and improper cooling.
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These incidents highlight a pattern of severe safety failures and major health-harming externalities from the company's core business activities.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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No evidence available to assess Biglari Holdings on Fair Money & Economic Opportunity.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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The company's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio was 555 to 1 in 2023, which is an increase from 71 to 1 in 2022.
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The CEO's total compensation for 2023 was approximately $7.27 million.
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No substantiated labor-law or human-rights violations were mentioned in the provided information.
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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No evidence available to assess Biglari Holdings on Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing.
Honest & Fair Business
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Biglari Holdings Inc. received an adverse opinion from auditor Deloitte & Touche LLP due to material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting, specifically noted in its insurance and oil and gas subsidiaries and internal communication processes.
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Biglari Capital LLC, an adviser to Lion Funds, was fined $75,000 by the SEC for failing to file required public disclosures for investment funds.
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Additionally, a shareholder lawsuit has been filed alleging a plan to create two classes of stock to consolidate voting control and dilute existing shareholders' rights, with further allegations that the company invested in Lion Funds which then purchased Biglari Holdings stock, increasing ownership.
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Kind to Animals
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Steak 'n Shake does not source cage-free eggs and is noted as the only major restaurant chain still using eggs from caged chickens.
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It is also the only major restaurant chain allowing its pork supplier to lock pigs in crates.
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For chicken, Steak 'n Shake requires a cage-free environment.
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and adopted the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in 2016.
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In 2023, 95% of chicken purchases met litter standards
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and 100% met lighting duration standards, though other BCC targets like darkness lux, controlled atmosphere stunning, and slow growth breeds were not met.
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Chicken stocking density is over 6 pounds per square foot, which is better than industry standards but has not met its 7 pounds per square foot target.
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Beef standards include humane treatment, no added hormones, and no animal by-products.
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Dairy standards support eliminating tail-docking, encourage selective breeding for dehorning, and prohibit rBST/rBGH.
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Steak 'n Shake is an active and working group member of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF).
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Biglari Holdings claims to have well-defined animal wellbeing standards for suppliers
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but has been urged by shareholders to disclose them,
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and is noted as one of few major chains without public disclosure.
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No War, No Weapons
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No evidence available to assess Biglari Holdings on No War, No Weapons.
Planet-Friendly Business
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Biglari Holdings Inc. lacks publicly available data on all key environmental performance indicators. The provided articles explicitly state there is no publicly available information regarding carbon emissions, reduction targets, or climate commitments.
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Similarly, there is no data on renewable energy use, water consumption, waste diversion, green building certifications, or any other planet-friendly business metrics.
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The company is not reported to be participating in any tracked sustainability initiatives, nor are there any mentions of environmental compliance violations.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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The company has no reported cultural appropriation incidents across the provided articles.
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Safe & Smart Tech
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Biglari Holdings has no recent security news or data breaches reported.
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The data breaches mentioned in the articles refer to other San Antonio businesses, not Biglari Holdings.
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No other specific data points regarding the company's cybersecurity investment, privacy certifications, AI ethics, or other safe and smart tech practices are available in the provided articles.
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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No specific, quantitative data for Biglari Holdings (BH.US) regarding waste diversion, product recyclability, packaging sustainability, recycled content, single-use plastic reduction, take-back programs, circular design, waste reduction initiatives, hazardous waste management, product durability, repairability, waste audit frequency, zero-waste certifications, waste disposal violations, material efficiency, packaging-to-product ratios, waste reduction targets, supplier waste requirements, or customer waste education was found in the provided articles. The articles either focused on other companies, general industry trends, or explicitly stated a lack of relevant data for BH.US.
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