The following restaurants responded to NBC 7 Responds’ request for comment:
Panera Bread
“At Panera, we’ve long been advocates for responsible antibiotic use with raised without
antibiotic chicken on our menu since 2004. We also steadily increased our supply of raised
without proteins, which now includes all our chicken, turkey, ham, bacon and sausage. While we
continue to take the best steps within our own supply chain, we strongly encourage other
brands to follow suit.” - Sara Burnett, Director of Wellness and Food Policy

KFC
“The threat of resistance to human antibiotics is a rising public health concern in the U.S. As
such, offering chicken raised without medically important antibiotics is the next step in our food
promise to our customers. By the end of 2018, all chicken purchased by KFC U.S. will be raised
without antibiotics important to human medicine.”

Sonic
“SONIC has the opportunity and responsibility to ensure proper handling and treatment of the
farm production animals we purchase. We take that responsibility very seriously which is why
we monitor our suppliers on an ongoing basis. SONIC will only conduct business with supply
partners who promise to maintain high quality and food-safety standards, and suppliers that also
share our commitment to animal welfare.
SONIC’s Antibiotic Use Policy
Effective January 2017, poultry suppliers should only administer antimicrobial drugs to animals
for the prevention, control and treatment of disease. Animals will be treated when necessary for
animal welfare. Use of antibiotics that are medically important to humans, for the sole purpose
of growth promotion is strictly prohibited. Per FDA Guidance 209 and 213, suppliers should not
use medically important antimicrobials in food animals for production purposes; suppliers are
also required to bring the therapeutic uses of such antimicrobials under the oversight of licensed
veterinarians.”
Dunkin' Donuts
“Over the past several years, we have worked with our suppliers to identify a position, timeline
and process for transitioning out of antibiotics that supports our business and our franchisees.
In 2017, we updated our statement on antibiotics and antimicrobial use to reflect our progress.
By the end of 2018, any chicken offered in Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants will be sourced from
chickens raised with no antibiotics ever. Following the USDA guidelines for No Antibiotics Ever,
there will be no antibiotics used from conception to consumption. With regard to other proteins
offered in the Dunkin’ Donuts menu, suppliers should only administer antibiotics and
antimicrobials to animals for the control and treatment of disease. We continue to monitor the
issue and work with our suppliers to make sure we are evolving our policies as needed.”

 Dominos
Domino’s isn’t alone in its quest to understand how the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry
intersect and impact human health. Public health advocates have voiced concerns about the
use of antibiotics in the animals that eventually enter the food supply, and we understand
concerns that have been raised by these groups. We care about the food we serve to our
customers, and our families, and we want it to be safe. We sit at the intersection of two groups
who only want what is best. On one side are farmers and veterinarians, that want to be able to
treat sick animals and prevent disease. On the other, consumer groups that want to make sure
that the use of antibiotics in farm animals does not lead to antibiotic resistance in humans that
could prove to be a larger threat to human health. We have spent time studying the issue from
all sides, as well as understanding the science involved and the reality of what choices a brand
of our size has in finding a solution that makes sense for us. The subject is complex, and it
involves decisions made by thousands of farmers and veterinarians, multiple suppliers, as well
as us. It is important to note that NO meat in the food supply can have antibiotic residue in it
when it is sold to the public. Sick animals are separated from the rest and treated, and are only
returned when the antibiotics are out of their system. The USDA then inspects all meat to make
sure it is free of antibiotic residue before it can enter the market. That said, the FDA has recently
enacted some rules that we are happy to support, including rules around what kind of antibiotics
farmers can use and when they can use them. We agree with the vast majority of scientists and
medical professionals that the reduction of the use of antibiotics in livestock will reduce antibiotic
resistance in humans. We understand that for some, the use of antibiotics in any way may be
concerning; however, we believe it is humane to treat sick animals with antibiotics if needed to
prevent suffering. We are pleased to say that beginning in 2018, we will be serving chicken in
the U.S. that is free of antibiotics that are important for human health, based on the definition of
medically-important by the World Health Organization. Although the poultry industry has reacted
rapidly to providing new antibiotic protocols, it is not quite as straightforward or easy in the
production of pork and beef. Although the industry has made a considerable amount of
progress, there is much more work to be done before the amount of available supply is of an
adequate size for us to consider antibiotic restrictions in the pork and beef we purchase.”
Chick-fil-A:
“We know our customers have placed their trust in us, and that is why we made one of the first
and boldest commitments in the industry to antibiotic-free meat back in 2014.” Here is more
information about our commitment, which is also available ​here​. While consumers often see
various messages about quick-service restaurants going antibiotic-free, not all antibiotic-free
policies were created equal. Beyond many other antibiotic-free meat commitments, Chick-fil-A’s
No Antibiotics Ever commitment allows NO antibiotics of any kind – as defined by the FDA –
starting from the egg. As the nation’s largest chicken chain, ensuring a stable supply of this type
of chicken requires building the infrastructure from the ground up, as the supply of chicken
raised with No Antibiotics Ever simply does not exist yet at this scale, which takes time. We are
proud to report that we have converted more than 50% of our supply to chicken raised with No

 Antibiotics Ever to date, and we are on track to achieve our goal of converting 100% of our
chicken supply by December 31, 2019. We will continue to provide updates on our progress as
we move forward."
Chipotle
"Chipotle Mexican Grill has earned an “A” grade in the Chain Reaction III Report and Scorecard,
a ranking of the country’s largest fast food and fast casual restaurant companies based on their
policies for antibiotic use in farm animals. Chipotle has earned “A” grades in each of the three
years the study has been conducted. We began serving meat from animals raised without
antibiotics in 1999 and continue to be a leader in this area today,” said Steve Ells, founder,
chairman and CEO at Chipotle. “Doctors, public health officials and other experts agree that
there is a growing risk of antibiotic-resistant infection, and the overuse of antibiotics in meat
production is a significant part of that problem. Good animal husbandry reduces the need for
antibiotics in livestock and promotes better animal welfare. We have simply chosen to serve
meat raised in a way that emphasizes care over the use of chemicals."
Subway:
“Our U.S. restaurants only serve chicken raised without antibiotics and we continue to work
towards the elimination of antibiotic use in our Turkey, Pork and Beef supply. Antibiotics are
critical tools for keeping animals healthy and should be used responsibly to preserve their
effectiveness in veterinary and human medicine. We are proud of our progress and are
committed to continued work in this space.”
McDonald’s:
"Moving to cage-free eggs by 2025, sourcing chicken raised without antibiotics important to
human medicine since 2015, and introducing McNuggets with no artificial flavors, colors or
preservatives are all examples of our continued commitment to our US customers," said Marion
Gross, Senior Vice President for McDonald's North America Supply Chain. "Because we know
we can and must do more across the globe, last month we also announced that in 2018 we will
begin implementing a chicken antibiotics policy in markets around the world. And we remain
committed to making meaningful reductions in the use of antibiotics in beef and pork and will
share our progress on beef in 2018."
Starbucks:
"Thank you for reaching out. Just as with our coffee, Starbucks goal is for everything we sell to
be produced under high quality and ethical standards. For the food and dairy we serve, this
means a commitment to social responsibility standards with animal welfare as a primary focus.
We are committed to working with and buying from farmers and suppliers who share our
commitment to humane practices throughout an animal’s lifecycle. We have a goal to serve only
poultry raised without the routine use of medically important antibiotics in all company operated
U.S. stores by 2020, and are routinely engaging our suppliers to make progress towards this
goal. More on our animal welfare-friendly practices can be found on our Starbucks Newsroom
here​."

 IHOP and Applebee’s:
“We did not participate in the Chain Reaction survey this year, although we recognize the
importance of responsible use of antibiotics in the supply chain. In fact, it is one important
element of a much larger discussion at DineEquity, the parent company of IHOP and
Applebee’s, around our supply chain and animal welfare. In conjunction with leading external
animal welfare experts, we are exploring positions on a variety of issues important to us, our
guests and animal welfare organizations. This includes more robust policy development and
transparent reporting of our progress.”
Cracker Barrel:
“We are committed to providing our guests with high-quality, homestyle food. If we can’t source
quality ingredients that meet our high standards for a particular dish, we simply don’t serve it.
This commitment to quality ingredients is how we provide authentic cooking that is rooted in
real, homestyle recipes. We’re also committed to staying on top of the latest standards in animal
welfare. We encourage our suppliers to lead the way in adopting the absolute best animal
welfare practices. We use only beef, pork, and poultry raised without human-grade, medically
important antibiotics.”