Hopdoddy Burger Bar, a pioneer in the better burger space since 2010, on Tuesday became the first burger chain in the United States to pledge to go 100 percent seed oil-free by partnering with Zero Acre Farms, a food company focused on delicious, healthy and environmentally friendly cooking oil. Hopdoddy will start the transition by replacing soybean oil with seed oil-free Zero Acre oil, which is made from rain-fed sugarcane plants, in every fryer at all 10 Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos, Texas locations.

This partnership deepens Hopdoddy’s commitment to sourcing high-quality ingredients while providing an elevated craft food experience in a casual setting, and it aligns with the brand’s commitment to build a more sustainably-minded supply chain as it works to become seed oil-free nationwide in the coming months. In addition to the large environmental impact of seed oils, a growing number of consumers are avoiding them due to their high levels of omega-6 fats, which have been linked to adverse health conditions, especially when heated.

At the first 10 stores, all of Hopdoddy’s crispy favorites, including hand-cut fries made from the freshest, family-farmed non-GMO Chipperbec potatoes, are now being clean-fried in Zero Acre oil instead of seed oils for the same delicious crisp with less greasiness and a smaller environmental footprint. In addition to nine flavors of shareable fries, five flavors of loaded brussels sprouts, chicken tenders and the Nashville hot chicken sandwich are clean-fried in Zero Acre oil.

Zero Acre 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. As an added bonus, foods fried in Zero Acre oil have been found to contain fewer calories. Up to 15% less oil was absorbed by food fried in Zero Acre oil in a study comparing the product to sunflower and palm oils, common vegetable oils.

“Our guests have been asking us to go seed oil-free, and Hopdoddy listened. 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,” said Hopdoddy Vice President of Innovation Chef Matt Schweitzer. “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. We hope Hopdoddy can be an example to other brands and lead the charge to more fully leverage products like Zero Acre in foodservice in the near future.”

“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. At Zero Acre Farms, we are immensely proud to partner with a restaurant that doesn’t just set the bar, but continuously raises it,” said Jeff Nobbs, co-founder and CEO of Zero Acre Farms.

Using Zero Acre oil, which requires far less land, water and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions, allows Hopdoddy to further its support of environmentally friendly farming practices. With a full transition to Zero Acre across all 47 locations, Hopdoddy will save 38 million square feet of land, along with 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 its fried items and lowering the calorie count in fried items overall. 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.”

To celebrate the launch and bring the land savings of frying with Zero Acre oil to life, Hopdoddy is giving away free shareable fries through Oct. 31. Customers who visit a participating location can get a free fry bowl by taking a photo of themselves on the “9 sq ft of land” floor decal that signifies how much less land is used to make one bowl of fries in Zero Acre oil than in soybean oil. Simply upload the photo to Instagram, tag @zeroacrefarms and @hopdoddy and show the post to the cashier to claim your free fry bowl (limit one per patron).