ARNOLD: Crossroads Steak n Shake tops all others
Rebuilt restaurant is number one in sales opening week
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| Andrew Jansen Photo Matt Randick flips a steakburger Friday at the new Steak n Shake at the Arnold Crossroads center. |
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After a new Steak n Shake was constructed at the shopping center, employees wondered how well their former customers would receive them.
The resulting sales during the restaurant's first week open astounded General Manager Jason Jackson."We were number one in the company that week," Jackson said.
Because of the community's support during its first week back in operation, the Arnold Steak n Shake was tops in sales out of all 502 company restaurants throughout the nation.
When the restaurant closed, Jackson said the facility had 55 employees who were transferred to various other Steak n Shake locations throughout the region. During the last six months, a few of those employees moved on, but Jackson was pleased to reopen with 38 members of his original crew.
"We were all very excited," Jackson said. "It was almost like a reunion."
He added that when people work so closely together day after day, they become like family. The support of the community also made them feel as if they had come home.
The restaurant reopened for partial hours beginning June 23 as new employees trained and old employees familiarized themselves with the new facility. The Fox High School Student Council helped by putting up decorations inside the building. Steak n Shake celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony June 30 and donated a check to Fox schools.
Including the returning 38 staffers, the new Steak n Shake now boasts a staff of 70 employees, who, Jackson said, all worked hard to draw in the high amount of sales. As soon as he saw the restaurant had the highest sales in the country, he printed out a copy of the report and posted it where all of his employees could see it.
"They should all be proud," Jackson said.
When Steak n Shake first decided to build a new restaurant in Arnold, talks surfaced of possibly moving to a different location. After such a successful opening, Jackson is glad they stayed at the Crossroads.
"It just went on to reinforce that we are where we need to be," Jackson said. "We made the right decision reinvesting in our property."
