The Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a global coalition of 100 organizations in 72 countries, recently released its 2023 Global Restaurant Report. The report reveals which restaurant chains are following through on their public commitments to source cage-free eggs in their global supply chains and which are falling behind. Several companies, including Starbucks, Famous Brands, Pizza Express, Restaurant Brands International, and Yum! Brands are successfully reporting progress towards their goals. The report exposes which companies aren’t being transparent, including Focus Brands, Inspire Brands, Caffè Nero, and Au Bon Pain, and asks, ‘Are these companies failing animals and the consumers who trusted them?’
The world’s most powerful restaurant chains are working to keep up with changing consumer demand. In 2022 surveys, three-quarters of people across 14 nations agreed: “The welfare of farmed animals in [my country] is important to me,” and 82% of voters think that food companies should be transparent about how they raise animals.
“The Global Restaurant Report serves as a critical tool for consumers who value animal welfare and wish to make informed decisions about which restaurants they support,” says Hannah Surowinski, Global Corporate Relations Manager, Open Wing Alliance. “This ranking of companies based on their public reporting of their global cage-free egg progress enables stakeholders to be aware of which companies are following through on their promises.”
To date, over 2,500 major food corporations—including 146 global commitments by some of the largest multinational corporations like KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Papa John’s, Burger King, Popeye’s, Krispy Kreme, Nestlé, Aldi, and Kraft Heinz—have announced cage-free egg commitments. These companies promise to stop serving eggs from hens confined to cages—a cruel and outdated form of confinement.
“Since 2017, all the eggs in our UK supply chain have been free range and we remain committed to achieving 100% cage-free egg sourcing in our global supply chain by 2025. It’s important to us, and to our customers,” says Spencer Playle, Supply Chain Director at PizzaExpress.
Why cage-free egg systems?
Over six billion hens exist in tiny, cramped cages that prevent them from stretching their wings. Caged systems promote stress, reproductive disease, and poor bone health in egg-laying hens.
Numerous countries have addressed the cruelty of cages by banning them entirely, such as Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, and many other countries have enacted laws that will come into force in the coming years.
The Global Restaurant Report is available here.
I am so glad someone is putting in the work to research and let us know the bad things these large brands are doing. Makes me know where to put my money and what to fight for.
Thank you for holding these businesses accountable for their word, and in the process help reduce the suffering of animals raised for food!
Wow, it’s extremely disappointing to learn that Focus Brands, Inspire Brands, and Au Bon Pain are still allowing this cruelty in their supply chains.
Consumers don’t want to support animal cruelty! All restaurants should be going cage-free! Shame on Au Bon Pain, Focus Brands, and Inspire Brands for failing to be transparent about their commitment and progress!
I appreciate the coverage of global organizations and issues. Corporate accountability needs to be taken seriously!
We have the right to know where the food we buy comes from. We have the right to choose between the brands that are more responsible and aware that animals suffer.
Thanks for sharing this! I won’t be going to any of these restaurants anymore, as they condone animal abuse.
So important. Companies think they can get away with anything. Glad to see someone’s holding them accountable.
I think it’s truly inspiring to see the speed at which many companies have begun to listen to calls to care for animals. I hope the list continues to grow!
Thanks for covering this – very helpful to see which companies are falling behind!
It’s so important to keep up with this work.
Committing to ending cages and actually making true on their promises are two different things. We need to continue to hold these companies accountable.
Thanks for reporting on this very important issue! Animal welfare and corporate transparency are crucial.
I’m thankful for the existence of non-profits like Open Wing Alliance that does research and brings these previously hidden practices to light, which causes the better major companies to act responsibly and decently regarding the animals in their food supply chains. As a consumer, I see companies that do so as respectable, and those that don’t as not respectable. I give my business to those in the first category and not the second. Keep up the great work, OWA! You’re making the world a better place!
Thank you for your spotlighting these injustices within our cruel food system. The animals and consumers deserve better. It’s time for these companies to report progress on promises they’ve made, or we must to assume they are empty promises.
Thank you! It is inspiring.
Thanks for this report. It is invaluable to consumers to understand the status of animal products and the cruelty they suffer for human consumption.
Now we can be more informed both as customers and also for those thinking of investing as shareholders.
I’m glad that reports like these exist so we can truly get an understanding of where the food we eat comes from. Amazing that companies like KFC are doing better than Focus Brands, Inspire Brands and Au Bon Pain. I will definitely be avoiding those brands and the companies they own.
This information is worth millions; we often do not know what is behind the production of the chains of which we are customers. It is good to know who is really committed to animal welfare and who is not. Thank you very much!
This report is incredibly valuable. Businesses shouldn’t be able to fly under the radar while commiting horrific animal abuse. So helpful to know where to avoid spending money.
Thank you Humane League for everything you do!
Thank you for exposing the truth of these restaurants. Grateful to be connected and apart of such powerful and pertinent work!
Animal welfare is crucial, and these reports are valuable. Thanks for sharing this insightful info. I hope corporations don’t take consumer values for granted.
I did not realize Focus Brands was so awful when it comes to animal welfare and transparency with customers. Very disappointing 🙁
I appreciate this report. I care about animal welfare and consider it when making purchasing decisions.
So many companies have been making the ethical commitment to source their eggs from cage free hens because no one wants to support animal cruelty. It is time more companies choose to be on the right side of history if they hope to keep their customers coming back long term.
Thanks a lot for your research and your work in informing the public. To the point, detailed, and accurate. Great job. Going cage-free is important, research and action like this certainly increases its likelihood, efficiency, and speed.
I am so grateful this is public for all of us to make educated decisions on where to shop. I am shocked that so many companies are still not taking animal cruelty seriously. Animal abuse must end now.
Thank you for making this important report! To release a cage-free commitment is important but to make the companies accountable for its commitment is WAY MORE IMPORTANT. Its very detailed and well aimed.
Thank you for reporting on this issue. It’s 2023… cages should be a thing of the past…
Great share, thank you for launching this report. Animal welfare is a business issue, glad to see there’s organizations fueling it, ethical policy is no doubt the direction for responsible businesses.
This is a very interesting report. It is so important that companies are transparent about progress towards their commitments.
Yes! I love OWA. Their work is so important and makes such a difference for humans, animals, and the environment. Love seeing reports like this that keeps everyone informed on typically secretive systems.
I hope companies like Au Bon Pain, Focus Brands, and Inspire Brands listen to customers and do the right thing. So many companies have already made the switch to cage-free, why won’t these brands step up? Thank you for holding them accountable.
Great information here. I hope other companies will take notice that they are falling behind and the customers care about their food sources.
So disappointing that so many companies are refusing to be transparent. Empty promises aren’t enough. Consumers, and the animals, deserve so much better. I hope these companies wake up and do better ASAP