Steak n Shake is a combination diner/fast food restaurant located throughout the Midwestern and Southern United States. Typical restaurant locations have both a drive-thru and front of house service, resulting in an atypical mix of fast-food to-go service and diner-style sit-down service. All Steak n Shake restaurants are open 24 hours. Their slogan "Famous for Steakburgers™," refers to their signature menu item, the STEAKBURGER™ sandwich.
Steak n Shake restaurants are operated by Steak n Shake Operations, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Steak n Shake Company, located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company currently operates 428 (as of March 2005) restaurants (including 45 franchises) in 19 states.
History
Gus Belt founded Steak n Shake in Normal, Illinois in February of 1934, when he converted the combination gas station/chicken restaurant he owned (Shell's Chicken) into a hamburger stand. The company's website suggests that Belt "would wait for the busiest time in his counter-only restaurant, wheel in a barrel of steaks (including round steak, sirloin steak, and T-bones) and grind the steaks into burgers right in front of the guests." This was reportedly the origin of Steak n Shake's other slogan: "In Sight It Must Be Right." This slogan also refers to Steak n Shake's open grill line, maintained to this day.
Following the success of the original restaurant, Belt purchased a chain of "Goal Post" restaurants throughout Central Illinois, converting them into Steak n Shake restaurants. He also added curb service at this point.
Steak n Shake continued to expand throughout Illinois following the death of its creator in 1954, with ownership passing through many hands; including Gus's wife Edith Belt (who ran the chain until 1969), Longchamps, Inc. (an east coast steakhouse company who owned the chain from 1969 to 1971) and the Franklin Corporation, led by Robert Cronin, author of Selling Steakburgers: The Growth of a Corporate Culture. In 1981, Steak n Shake was sold by Franklin to E.W. Kelley and Associates, whose chairman, E.W. "Ed" Kelley was considered largely responsible for the growth of the restaurant until his death on July 4, 2003. The brand had been declining during the late 70's, and in 1984 was in the red. Kelley hired the former head of Circle K to turn the business around. Steak n Shake rapidly improved and expanded throughout the 1990's and into 2000. In early November of 2004, The Steak n Shake Company entered into an agreement to buy out its largest franchisee, Kelley Restaurants, Inc. (which is owned by the late Mr. Kelley's family). KRI's 16 sites will be purchased for about $1 million each and are mainly in Georgia and North Carolina markets.
Menu
Sandwiches
Steak n Shake's signature item is the STEAKBURGER™ sandwich. 100% U.S. beef, including the steak cuts, is ground and formed into a hockey puck shape before cooking. Once ordered, the puck is quickly seared on one side, flipped, and pressed flat to cook quickly. Midway through, it is flipped once. The STEAKBURGER™ forms the basis of most Steak n Shake sandwiches, including "The Original Double," and melts, such as "The American Melt" and "The Frisco Melt." Steak n Shake also serves an assortment of chicken, tuna and turkey sandwiches.
Other Entrees
Steak n Shake serves a variety of other entrees, including chicken fingers, various salads, and Steak n Shake's special chili concoctions. These include (in addition to plain chili), the "Chili Mac" and the "Chili-3-Way" (and -5-way), which are various combinations of spaghetti noodles, chili, and Steak n Shake's special sauce.
Side Dishes
Steak n Shake serves the traditional complement of side dishes, such as a side salad, cottage cheese, etc. At least one soup of the day is usually available. Steak n Shake is noted for its baked beans, served in a small ceramic "bean crock." Also unique are Steak n Shake's french fries, as they are thinner and smaller than average. These side orders are part of Steak n Shake's traditional "Platter" order, which comprises any sandwich and any two side dishes.
The Fountain
In addition to Coca-Cola products, hot or iced tea, and coffee, Steak n Shake is well-known for its milk shake, hand-dipped and made with real milk. Steak n Shake recently began selling a Side-by-Side™ Milk Shake, which is two flavors of milk shake poured into the glass so they do not mix, but are split vertically in the glass. Steak n Shake also offers many different desserts, including Berry Berry cobbler, a Brownie Fudge Sundae, ice cream, rootbeer float, and seasonal favorites, such as pumpkin pie.
Breakfast
Steak n Shake offers traditional breakfast items including bacon, pancakes, sausage, eggs, and hashbrowns. These items are only served during breakfast hours (which are different state to state), unlike some diners where breakfast is available any time. Breakfast is not served all day long simply because there is no room on the grill to cook breakfast items during the dinner and lunch rush times.
Restaurant Atmosphere
New Steak n Shake restaurants are one-story white buildings with large windows on two sides. They typically have black and white lighted awnings with the Steak n Shake name in red lighted lettering. Inside, the floor is black and white tile, the cushioned booths and chairs are red, and the grill and work surfaces are brushed steel. Patrons usually seat themselves, though during busy periods, a host or hostess may be employed. Steak n Shake's prices are higher than most fast-food restaurants, and comparable to diners or other sit-down locations.
Locations
Steak n Shake restaurants are currently located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. They plan to open 18-24 new restaurants in fiscal year 2005.
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