Humane League to Hardee’s: Meet the U.S. Cage-Free Commitment

The Humane League is planning a series of protests at U.S. Hardee’s locations with the intent of putting pressure on the fast-food restaurant to report progress on its promise to move to a 100% cage-free egg supply.

According to the organization’s website, it will take place in October at a Hardee’s location in Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana, and in November at a location in Charleston, South Carolina.

Hardee’s is operated by parent company CKE Restaurants Holdings, which committed in 2016 to convert its entire egg supply to cage-free eggs by 2025, subject to availability of egg supplies. The pledge was made on behalf of Hardee’s and its sister brand Carl’s Jr.

The Humane League said on its website that Hardee “has rightly promised to eliminate all battery cages by 2025.

In August 2023, it was announced that Carl’s Jr. had met its goal of cage-free egg production at its US locations.

On CKE’s animal welfare website, the company confirmed that all Carl’s Jr. restaurants in the United States have completed the transition. It also states: “Our commitment remains strong and we are committed to offering cage-free eggs in all our domestic and international restaurants in 2025.”

Together with its franchisees, Hardee’s operates approximately 1,600 restaurants in the USA and is represented in 13 countries worldwide.