If you don't have a Steak 'n Shake near you, you're missing out.
The fast-ish food joint specializes in hamburgers — they call them "steakburgers" — and
is one of the fastest-growing restaurants in the US, with over 550 across the country.
It's not just a fad, though, as Steak 'n Shake has been around since the 1930s.
So, what took them so long to make an impact nationally?
Here's a look at what die-hard fans don't even know about Steak 'n Shake.
The start of the slogan
Steak 'n Shake founder Gus Belt was a bit of showman.
When he opened the first Steak 'n Shake in 1934, he decided to prove how fresh his steakburgers
were by hauling a wheelbarrow of fresh meat through the store and then grinding it right
in front of the customers.
That sounds… kind of horrifying, actually, but it led to the famous Steak 'n Shake slogan
"In sight, it must be right."
Also in sight?
The milkshake machines, which he put in the front window so people driving by would be
enticed to stop by.
They have their own language
Another Steak 'n Shake slogan flashes in red at every location.
It looks like a tricky tongue-twister: Takhomasak.
So where did Belt come up with this?
Well, he didn't.
A restaurant in Denver, Colorado called Rockybilt actually pioneered the slogan "TAK-HOMA-SAK"
as a suggestion that hungry patrons order pickup.
You know… "take home a sack?"
When Belt appropriated the slogan, he simply took out the dashes from the original spelling,
and the familiar Takhomasak slogan was born.
There was a Steak 'n Shake civil war
In 2013, the Steak 'n Shake brand devolved into civil war when 50 franchise owners banded
together to fight back against their corporate masters, who were demanding that all franchises
lower their prices to adhere to a new $4 value meal menu.
The rebellious franchises claimed that the drop in prices would lead to hundreds of thousands
of dollars in lost revenue.
"What are the odds, Mike?
All four meals under four dollars going to the same table?"
"Yup."
The results were a mixed bag for the franchises.
While some reached a settlement out of court with parent company Biglari Holdings, at least
one franchise was forced to pay damages after unhappy patrons brought their own lawsuit
alleging they had been charged $5 for food that was advertised as being on the $4 menu.
You could say they were playing for… high stakes.
It's changed hands several times
When founder Gus Belt died in 1954, his wife Edith took over the company.
In 1969, though, she sold the 50 or so Steak 'n Shake locations to a company called Longchamps.
That was just the start of a string of buyouts: The Franklin Corporation bought Steak 'n Shake
in 1971, then sold it to E.W. Kelley and associates in 1981.
Company head Ed Kelley decided to return the franchise to its roots of fresh meals, made
to order, and eventually expanded the chain to where it is now under the new parent company
Biglari Holdings.
It inspired Shake Shack
If you're a die-hard fan of Shake Shack, you have Steak 'n Shake to thank for your favorite
spot.
Yes, it's true: Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer told The New York Times that his career
path started at the Steak 'n Shake in St. Louis when he was just a teen, saying,
"[I] spent a lot of my weekend nights as a teenager at Steak ‘n Shake… and those
parking lot experiences hanging out with friends were inspirational in desire to create a burger
joint that would bring people together."
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in this case, it's also the
yummiest.
Roger Ebert was their biggest fan
You might like Steak 'n Shake.
You might even love Steak 'n Shake, but you, friend, are no Roger Ebert.
The famous movie critic gave the restaurant two thumbs up and waxed poetically in prose
usually reserved for an Oscar-winning film.
He said if the Pope asked for a good spaghetti joint, he'd recommend the Chili Mac or Chili
3-Ways – both Steak n' Shake specialties.
His love affair with the burger joint started on the campus of the University of Illinois
when he was just 3 or 4 years old, and continued throughout his life.
Ebert wrote in his loving ode to the restaurant in 2009 that if he were on death row, his
last meal would be from Steak 'n Shake.
He finally succumbed to cancer in 2013 after a lengthy battle — let's hope he had one
more steakburger for the road.
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