Operations

Hopdoddy ditching seed oil

Photo: Hopdoddy

October 17, 2023

Austin-based Hopdoddy Burger Bar is pledging to go 100% seed oil-free by partnering with Zero Acre Farms, a company focused on environmentally friendly cooking oil. Hopdoddy, which has 47 units, will start the transition by replacing soybean oil with seed oil-free Zero Acre oil, which is made from rain-fed sugarcane plants and requires less land and water and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions, in fryer sat 10 locations in Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos, Texas.

"Our guests have been asking us to go seed oil-free, and Hopdoddy listened," Hopdoddy Vice President of Innovation Chef Matt Schweitzer said in a company press release. "We found that Zero Acre was the best fit for us, as it has a neutral, clean taste that improves the flavor of our product. It offers a high level of healthy fats while also being immensely better for our planet. We're really proud that this change falls right in line with our mission to serve high-quality food that leaves the planet better than we found it."

At the first 10 stores, Each of Hopdoddy's crispy offerings, including hand-cut fries made from family farmed non-GMO Chipperbec potatoes, are being clean-fried in Zero Acre oil instead of seed oils. In addition, five flavors of loaded Brussels sprouts, chicken tenders and the Nashville hot chicken sandwich will also use Zero Acre oil.

Jeff Nobbs, co-founder and CEO of Zero Acre Farms, said the oil has a neutral taste that helps flavors pop and is high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which is more stable for frying than the polyunsaturated fats found in most vegetable oils.

"It's rare to find a restaurant as trailblazing and discerning as Hopdoddy, evidenced by their delicious menu and their leadership in environmental stewardship. With their commitment to regenerative agriculture and now their pledge to go 100% seed oil-free, Hopdoddy is redefining what it means to source responsibly," Nobbs said in the release. " At Zero Acre Farms, we are immensely proud to partner with a restaurant that doesn't just set the bar, but continuously raises it."

Transitioning to the Zero Acre oil in all Hopdoddy restaurants will save 38 million square feet of land as well as 250 million gallons of fresh water annually. In addition, 2,350 metric tons of carbon emissions will be avoided each year while significantly reducing bad fats from fried items and lowering the calorie count in fried items overall, Nobbs said. The partnership comes on the heels of Hopdoddy's recent pledge to make a shift toward utilizing 100% regeneratively-raised meat sources and help "Save the Planet … One Bite At a Time."