Georgia Steak ’n Shake billboard honors Charlie Kirk after Sept. 10 death; customers flock in solidarity

A Georgia Steak ’n Shake owner posted a billboard tribute to Charlie Kirk after his Sept. 10 death, drawing national attention as supporters across the country pledged to visit the chain in a show of solidarity. Wayne Robinson, president of Wayne Robinson Holdings, operates a Rome, Georgia location.

The billboard features the name Charlie Kirk along with the years 1993 2025 and the slogan Stand up, speak out, stay bold. Robinson said he was devastated after Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University.

Within days, the response to the tribute went viral, with millions of likes on X and tens of thousands of local comments. Robinson said the message drew people from nearby towns and distant states who planned to drive to his store to eat lunch or dinner as a sign of support for Kirk and what the tribute represented. He estimated there were about 58,000 local comments, and he said people from outside the Rome area appeared to be traveling to participate in the moment.

The billboard drew attention beyond Robinson’s shop as well. Steak ’n Shake’s corporate office contacted him shortly after the post went viral, telling him that he would need approval through the corporate process to use the Steak ’n Shake name, but that the company liked the gesture. Robinson said the corporate owner then expressed interest in potentially allowing a similar tribute to be rolled out across the nation, a step he welcomed but did not promise would happen.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who represents Rome, shared an image of the billboard on social media, helping to amplify the story. Online, supporters said they would patronize Steak ’n Shake specifically because of the tribute. One commenter on X wrote that dining there was a way to honor Kirk, while another said the goodwill could turn into real business for the franchise as the story spread.

Robinson said the response extended beyond praise from loyal customers. He said some callers from states as far as Michigan, Wisconsin and California reached out to say thanks for honoring Kirk, describing the gesture as meaningful to people who had followed his public debates and campus appearances. He noted that the local reaction had been overwhelmingly positive and that the tribute appeared to have resonated with a broad audience.

The concept of honoring Kirk with branded tributes was not isolated to the Rome location. In another instance, Grooveberries Frozen Yogurt in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, faced backlash after honoring Kirk with stickers on its yogurt cups, illustrating how supporters and critics alike have engaged with the memorial gesture in modern, brand-aware settings. Separately, a group of Kirk supporters petitioned Starbucks to add his signature tea order to menus nationwide, underscoring the broader cultural footprint of Kirk’s public profile as well as the divisive nature of his work in American political discourse.

Robinson, who described Kirk as someone who inspired him to engage with young people and to encourage debate and discussion, said the 31-year-old activist’s legacy is resonating beyond the immediate moment. He added that his aim was to recognize a man he believes sparked a revival in conversations about faith, civics, and free speech, even as the country continues to navigate the sharp partisan divide that has characterized American politics in recent years.

As the investigation into Kirk’s death continues, people across the country have used the billboard and related tributes as a focal point for reflection on Kirk’s work and the arguments he championed. Robinson emphasized that his intention was to honor a person who had a significant influence on students and communities, noting the movement he helped inspire and the conversations it prompted across campuses and online.

The episode has sparked questions about the intersection of commerce, politics and public mourning and how businesses navigate moments of national attention. For now, the Georgia Steak ’n Shake owner said the billboards have achieved what he set out to do: honor a figure who, in his view, motivated a generation to stand up, speak out and stay bold. Kirk, who led Turning Point USA, was 31 at the time of his death, and the public responses to the tributes reflect a spectrum of views about his work and the broader political climate in which such tributes occur.