They’ve tried. Wendy’s QSCC has tried. Walmart is trying. It’s hard to be a beef packer. You have to sell the rest of the animal too, and now you’re just a filthy beef packer yourself. Also sadly impossible to interface with ranchers direct, still must be fed out at a feed yard.
Cattle retention has not even begun yet, you’re absolutely correct. There will be 2+ more years of higher beef prices, we’re still slaughtering more than are being born therefore cattle prices will continue to rise on a macro level.