Restaurateurs are sinking their teeth into the steakhouse business
As the economy soars, steakhouses across the country and right here in St. Louis are enjoying a stampede of customers and are opening new eateries faster than a chef can charbroil a tenderloin.
Though executives at most local steakhouses reported strong sales throughout the 㥢s, all have experienced a notable upswing in the last few years. “We have definitely seen business improve over the last four years,” says Patricia Shannon, general manager of Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood. “It’s linked to the thriving economy, and also to the fact that people are getting over the idea that eating red meat is a faux pas.”
Mike Shannon’s has been in business at its present location, within a cow-bell’s-ring of Busch Stadium, for more than 13 years. “We’ve weathered booms and busts, but I think this is one of the most prosperous phases we’ve ever experienced.” Shannon feels that the resurgence of downtown and the increase in city dwellers has also contributed to higher sales. “The downtown living element has really helped us recently, and I think will continue to.”
The steakhouse trend is not merely a local phenomenon. According to an article in the April 1999 issue of Restaurant Business magazine, customer traffic at “fine dining steak” restaurants rose 26 percent from 1993 to 1998. Much of this traffic consists of business clientele with expense accounts, as Steve Lilly, general manager of the St. Louis branch of Morton’s of Chicago, can attest.
“Morton’s philosophy is centered on the idea that the traveling customer can rely on the Morton’s experience,” Lilly says. “We guarantee our food, wine selection and ambiance will meet and exceed our patrons’ expectations every time, regardless of which location they visit.” Morton’s operates 43 steakhouses in the United States and internationally, and had 1998 sales of $189.8 million, with the average check running at $65 per person, a high in their category.
Lilly also says Morton’s has prospered from its grand presentation and classic style. “When people go out, they still want to splurge; so many people come here to reward themselves or their guests, and we are proud to accommodate those needs effortlessly.”
Jesse Sanford, general manager of the St. Louis Steakhouse, which opened in the former Ruth’s Chris space and is owned by Sam Glazer, believes the popularity of steakhouses never really waned. “Steak is the only truly American cuisine; it never went out of style, but it’s certainly coming back into the spotlight,” Sanford states
St. Louis Steakhouse opened in November 1998 as a full-service fine-dining restaurant. Sanford says St. Louis Steakhouse, which serves dinner only, is looking forward to the opening of the Thomas Eagleton Federal Courthouse, directly across 11th Street from the steakhouse, to provide even more business and a solid lunch crowd.
Like Morton’s and its predecessor Ruth’s Chris, St. Louis Steakhouse prides itself on serving large portions. “It’s catering to another American ideal, that bigger is better.”
Sanford also notes how many international diners his restaurant sees: “in the same way that Japan can be proud of the world’s love of sushi, we can be proud of our steaks. I think that people bring foreign clients or friends here to show them how American food is done right.”
Shannon also feels that ultimately her restaurant’s popularity, aside from the great food and the “sophisticated sports atmosphere,” rests on patriotic ideals. “For us it’s about the Cardinals and baseball, and about St. Louis and this country. We even serve American apple pie–it’s out of this world!”
Even local restaurateurs who have traditionally strayed from American cuisine are trading in their souffles for strip steaks. Eddie Neill, proprietor of Café Provencal in Clayton and Kirkwood, recently introduced Eddie’s Steak and Chop in the original Provencal space on Central Avenue in Clayton, just down the street from the newer Provencal location.
“With the strength of the economy, the time was right for a steakhouse,” Neill says, whose father was a professor of French philosophy and literature at Saint Louis University, one of the reasons for Neill’s francophile tendencies. Though Neill says that he’s not competing with the bigger houses and boasts an intimate bistro decor and less traditional atmosphere – “no Sinatra here!”– he still feels that people will always like steak, especially with his unique French twist.
“No matter what the media says, and no matter what’s in fashion, people will always go out for red meat. We have doctors dine here regularly, and we have people who claim that they won’t cook red meat at home but won’t order anything else when they’re out.”
Whether served up in a red pepper mango reduction, beneath a slab of butter or simply seared to perfection, local proprietors are certain of two things: Americans love their meat and potatoes, and steakhouses’ll be roping ‘em in until the cows come home.
