Steak 'N Shake

[lukesams]

Discuss anything you need to say about Steak 'N Shake right here!

[TheFugitive]

I love this place!

Food is always tasty and priced right.  I like the Retro '50's diner atmosphere.
Some of the best milkshakes in town.

And at my local store the employees are all extremely friendly and hard-working.

Most of them are quite young too.  Last time I was there I went over to the manager
and complimented his hard-working and courteous crew.  You just don't see this in
every restaurant you visit.

If I could change anything it would be the fries.  They taste good, but they are too
tiny.  Chopped up too short to even dip in ketchup in some cases.  And on a couple
of occasions I was served cold coffee (though the waitstaff apologized and replaced
it quickly when pointed out).

My co-worker also complains that he has gone in with a fistful of coupons, only to
find that it is actually cheaper to order the same food a la carte off the menu.

[retailisking]

Steak 'n Shake seems to be in a death spiral; they've suddenly closed dozens of corporate-owned restaurants all over the country, and they lost a lawsuit over unpaid overtime
https://www.complex.com/life/2019/05/steak-n-shake-financial-problems-spark-concerns-over-restaurant-chains-future

[TheFugitive]

Drove by the one I frequent and was disappointed to find it had closed.

There was a large banner hanging out front that said "Franchise Opportunity".

[TheFugitive]

I was in a Steak and Shake for the first time in a while on a recent road trip.  The store was located on the outskirts of Indianapolis.  Boy had things changed.  It was a dark, dystopian experience frankly.  The waitstaff was gone, it was all now seat yourself counter service.  Also you had to order via a self-serve kiosk and then pick-up your order when called.  A big chunk of the dining room had been removed to install a self-service area for drink refills. Coffee was apparently no longer on the menu (I had always liked their coffee and could have used one after hours of driving).  A sign on the door said that the dining room would be closing at 5 due to staff shortages (the manager actually locked the front doors as we were eating at around 4:30 to prevent others from coming in).  Looks like the future of budget dining will be automated with minimum payroll burn.

[TheFugitive]

Was just on a road trip and encountered another recently closed Steak and Shake location.  This one was off a highway exit in Richmond, Indiana, literally steps from the Ohio border.  It had big banners touting "Franchise Opportunity!" all over it just as my favorite store in Pleasant Hills, PA did.

[TheFugitive]

My favorite Steak and Shake restaurant near Century III Mall has been torn down and replaced with a Raising Cane's chicken fingers location.