Location,Location,Location ?

I've wanted to share this idea for a long time, and it wasn't even my idea, originally. A friend thought of it. The old abatoir is located in Estate St. John. I think it would be an outstanding place to put in a steak restaurant. The kind with a big grill in the middle of the room, they bring a slab or beef to the table and you tell them how thick you want it. Can't remember the name of that chain that does that. Then, you can go to the grill and cook it yourself or just let them do it. They also make caesar salad at the table. Wish I could think of the name. Always enjoyed it. You could get other things too, not just steak.

Prime Quarters in Green Bay does something along those lines. You order salad bar, steak or fish or chicken, then go pick out your piece of meat from a display cooler. Then you walk your plate over to the grill and cook it how you like. They also have loaves of texas toast bread and tubs of butter for slathering and garlic salt shakers. You grill your steak/chicken/fish, toast off some bread, and hit the salad/baked potato bar before you sit down.

I went to Prime Quarters this past October and it was a fun experience. Great idea since all of the kitchen prep is butchering meat, salad prep, and baking potatoes. The profit on beef and potatoes is outrageous. They were BUSY too

Great idea, Juanita!

Alexander's Steakhouse in Columbia, MO also had the same style dining format. I used to eat there whenever I was working in that town. You would order drinks and hit the soup/salad bar. After that, you would go to the cooler to pick out your cut of beef, etc. The server would deliver it to you at the grill in the center of the restaurant. Everyone would stand around the grill and cook up their meat and chatingt while drinking and grilling up the large pieces of Texas Toast. They also had the large vats of melted butter to slather on the toast before grilling. It was a great place to eat and you couldn't blame the chef for over or under cooking your steak 🙂 I once asked the server what do you do, if you don't want to grill your own steak. She said they'd do it for you, for a nominal fee. I understand this restaurant closed down a few years ago, but I think it was a chain, and that others are still in business under this name, elsewhere in the US. Unfortunately, we don't have anything like that here in Louisville. Maybe someone will open one up, before we move to STX.

Juanita,Chefnoa and Tnemig. I have had that same thought about grill your own or we can cook it for you as well. We had a place back in Knoxville TN that was called the Chop House .

I definitely want to stay more on the Bar side of business instead of the Restaurant. I would not know how to open an Upper crust type joint anyway. The food however and whatever I decide to put on the menu will always be the same consistency every time you walk in the door,lets not forget the service either.

I have had some good phone conversations with a couple of people on island and the one question I failed to ask was. If it could take up to a year to have all the licensing in place for a Restaurant to be operational. How soon do you think I could have a Bar open ? At least be selling booze while I wait out the kitchen details.

I've always thought a really nice steakhouse at the Casino would do nice. I've never eaten out at Divi or heard anything grand about it. On nights when my wife and I want to feel fancy we'll dress up a bit, have a nice dinner and then head out to the Casino. Neither of us are big gamblers but it is a fun little escape. I know many others who do the same. If they had a nice restaraunt out there, especially a classic steak/seafood joint, we'd go all the time.

Sean

Talked to a lady in STT who is opening a new bar. 6 weeks for the license for the bar. Still waiting 3 weeks later for food and cig license. Does that help?

Pamela

Pamela,it all helps. Thank you very much. I am trying to contact some expediters now.

Fire and Ice is an Americanized mongolian grill chain - pick out your proteins, veggies, and sauces then have it cooked on the flat grill in the center of the restaurant and stand around it socializing while you wait for food to cook.
Along these lines is also Brazillian Steakhouse - Different meat is cooked on skewers, servers walk around the restaurant with the skewers and come to you table (you have to have a signal on the table for keep coming vs. stop) and it's all you can eat picking from the skewers, a salad bar, and pay extra for drinks.
Benihana is the Japanese chain where they have several Chef's tables and you sit around the grill while you food is served.