Steak ‘n Shake to open in May
The Steak ‘n Shake restaurant at Crossroads will open in May. Photo by Amanda Codispoti
Construction is nearly complete on Roanoke’s Steak ‘n Shake restaurant, but it will be mid-May before the eatery begins serving steakburgers and hand-dipped milkshakes.
The restaurant at Crossroads Mall is slated to open May 16, said Lee Garvin, director of real estate and development for the franchisee, Steaks of Virginia.
The hold up is some pieces of equipment that haven’t come in yet, Garvin said. When pressed, he would not specify what type of equipment the restaurant is waiting on.
The opening has been a long time coming for Steak ‘n Shake lovers. The project was first announced in July 2011, but was delayed several times while the franchisee built restaurants in other parts of the state. Construction on the Roanoke restaurant began in late November.
Meanwhile, business is still steady at the nearby Cook-Out restaurant, which opened in December. I drove past the restaurant on a recent weekend and the drive through line snaked through the parking lot. On other occasions I’ve seen the line of customers dining in extend the length of the restaurant and overflow outside. Do you think Steak ‘n Shake will take some of that business away once it opens?
March 22, 2013 - 7:45 AM
I don’t think so because Cook-Out is cheaper. One other thing they have going for them that Steak ‘n Shake doesn’t, is the number of shake possibilities you can get. Also look at what you can get with a combo dinner at Cook-out.
Yes, Steak n Shake will definitely take some of Cook-Out’s business. The food at SnS is just as cheap as it is at Cook-Out. You also have waiter service at SnS, which is better than having to stand in line a Cook-Out. Also, the diner theme is nice.
Ground beef (I think) on a bun with a few sides and soft drinks and shakes available at each place. Look alike but not. Cook Out is aimed very much at a younger, lower economic, less sophisticated palate market. Students flock to their outlets as a “destination.” The food is aimed at North Carolina tastes where the chain covers the state and Southside and SW Virginia are natural markets for them. Steak ‘n Shake aims higher on the economic food chain and generally older, though families will be there. Being older myself, I don’t find Cook Out food worth going out of my way. I can appreciate the low price and large selection of condiments, sides, and shakes. Steak ‘n Shake will benefit from impatient shoppers not wanting to deal with long lines, but I don’t think these burger joints really compete.
Cookout’s food has not been that good. Granted their shakes are good but that is pretty much it.
Why would Gavin be so secretive about a delay in delivery of a piece of equipment? BFD.
@david: I don’t know. When I asked him what type of equipment they were waiting on, his response was something like, “I don’t want to get into our business that much.”
Only been to a Cookout once, was not impressed! Steak ‘n Shake, on the other hand, has been a fav since the 60′s! (yeah, I’m old) Love the food, the table service that’s served at fast food prices, and they have an AWESOME breakfast. I’m sure there are fans of both places so I think they will share the crowds that have been going to Cookout. W/ some new ones thrown in as well. My guess is that Cookout will notice some difference during the first few weeks that SnS is open…
it’s called the upper hand and just like KFC they don’t tell you what the eleven spices are.
I am looking forward to Steak n Shake!! Can’t get here soon enough
Roanokers should remember the current CEO of Stake n Shake, Sardar Biglari. He was the dude that muscled his way into owning the Western Sizzlin restraunts and DROVE THEM INTO THE GROUND !!! Then fired all the admin staff that was here in Roanoke and moved operations else where. I don’t think this company has much of a chance with this young rich investment management company guy as CEO. Look for dirty wallstreet tricks and sucking money from one venture to finiance another. Beware Roanoke.
I think they both will do well and McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s will continue to do well also. The area kind of reminds me of the Wendover Ave. area in Greensboro. There are all of the usual suspects in the same stretch of area down there and they are always crowded.
The menu items at Steak n Shake and Cook Out are similar but different enough that both will thrive. One thing about Steak n Shake is the speed of service. Even though they have a drive through it’s not quick service. At Steak n Shake it takes awhile to get your food once you’ve ordered. Cook Out has long lines but the time from order to service is pretty quick.
Cookout has very small portions and their milk shakes are more like soft serve ice cream, you can’t drink them you have to eat them. I hope Steak and Shake lives up to expectations because Cookout was a big disappointment
Sounds like Steak & Shake is either having financial problems with this new location, or if they are really waiting on equipment they’d rather not talk about, it’s probably microwave ovens. I’m told a lot of restaurants simply microwave their food, since it lowers energy costs. Anyone else want to weigh in on that theory?
Cookout is as close to the backyard burgers I remember as a kid that I can find as “fast food”. It is good Southern food at a great price. I am so glad it is in both Roanoke and Blacksburg.
Steak & Shake is much better than Cookout, plus I like the waiter/waitress you get. Did not realize that until my first visit to one in NC. Very nice and fast service, the shake I got was wonderful!
Sounds like Spiney Norman likes to speculate wildly, over items he knows nothing about on the internet! I’m told (and my sources are excellent) that Steak N Shake grills their burgers right their in the middle of the resteraunt. (My sources include a one second google process)
However, the plethora of restaurants snatching up microwaves has really hurt my wife’s cooking, as we have been waithing on a microwave for 3months now! Not one to be found in all of Virginia. Two freezers of Hot Pockets, nothing to cook them with.
Thank goodness all of these purveyors of McCrap are doing so well, or Roanoke City might lose its coveted 116th out of 130 spot of “healthiest” areas in Virginia. With any luck, we can knock Petersburg off their bottom spot!
My question is why has it taken them so long to open? I’m with Spiny Norman did they have financial problems. They had so many set backs, while cook out came in built & opened.
I have eaten at cookout two times and both experiences were terrible…incorrect food, and both times made me and a collegue sick. The food is the lowest of quality. Steak N Shake food quality is excellent so is the price and service is very good. I have frequented this chain in other cities since Roanoke does not have one yet and they are excellent!
I loved the hamburgers at Cook Out! If you haven’t tried one yet they are a treat! I didn’t like the shakes but I liked the price, compared to Brusters down the street at $6! EEk!
Speaking of Wendy’s, we’ve pretty much written them off. Poor quality food more often than not at several locations. Shame, as they used to be the best burger chain in town. After a couple of false starts, Cookout has gotten better recently, can’t wait for S&S and those tasty shoestring fries.
It seems Roanoke has become the burger mecca in Virginia. It’s burgers and more burgers….agree with the comment that we need healthier options and anything other than chain restaurants would be nice also.
Wow, delayed until May? That only leaves them a precious couple of months before they close mysteriously and no one at the corporate office will return your calls. Welcome to the Roanoke Zone, Steak ‘n’ Shake.
I’m not sure how the small parking lot is going to accommodate all that traffic. Cookout’s parking lot is madness!! I’ve been twice and after having my car almost slammed into by someone not paying attention, I’ve decided that it is not worth it.
If you want to hear something funny my daddy used to take his dates to Steak ‘n’ Shake back in the thirties. This was in rural Illinois. I imagine everything was homemade back then.
I’m curious how Steak N Shakes and Cookout will affect Wendy’s, which is just down the street and on the opposite side of the street. The Wendy’s Restaurant looks very run down.
All of those restaurants can co-exist in Roanoke. (Unlike Radford, where the Cook-Out’s arrival helped drive both Burger King and KFC out of business last summer.)
Steak n Shake has some really creative shake options on their menu — I just went to their website, and among others, they have a Red Velvet shake and a Salted Caramel Pretzel shake. Looking forward to it.
Both will be fine. I think McD’s will be feeling the pinch past breakfast (can’t remember if SnS serves it, but they are 24hrs). I like SnS better but I’m still loyal to Cookout, having live off of it for 4 years in college. I can say that the NC iteration of it is better than the ones we have up here. Maybe these kids ought to taste cookout from the source…carolina…before they learn to cook(out)
Art, try the Wendy’s in West Salem if you’re near there. Clean and good food. Surprisingly enough, they get your order right at the drive thru.
Went to cook-out one time. Wasn’t worth the effort of fighting the crowd. Not sure what the big deal is. Agree that the parking is ridiculous. Have never tried S&S and most likely won’t unless we just happened to be near there around lunch time on a Saturday. Don’t go to Hershberger very often. Not a mall person.
@David… ha, ha, I like Jim Gaffigan, too. Why should I be “speculating wildly” about financial problems with this project? Do know how far past the original target date they are? As for the microwave comment, I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt that it was indeed an equipment issue. The only “secret” equipment I could think of that a restauranteur wouldn’t want disclosed is a microwave, and no, I’m not saying there was a shortage at Walmart. I seriously doubt restaurants use off-the-shelf microwave ovens, but I have definitely heard that they are using them more and more often (and I didn’t mean that S&S used them for the burgers).
Anyway, it doesn’t matter what kind of equipment they were waiting for, since that in itself might point to a financial problem. Not to “speculate wildly”, but I find it hard to believe that there is actually a shortage of any kind of restaurant equipment. I just figured that a microwave would be the one piece of equipment they would be reluctant to talk about. More than likely, he was just being evasive and it really is a financial issue.
Roanoke has nothing to worry about, and neither does this franchise. Steak ‘n Shake has more than 500 locations in 22 states, and plans to grow to between 800 and 1,000 restaurants in the next five to 10 years.
Very interesting comments, after introducing my lady friend to the Cook Out Monday afternoon….I agree with most of the comments. I will not get a milk shake again. Cheap, sugarie, frozen milk. I like my milk shakes through a straw, not a spoon. I do think they have the best tasting hamburger in Roanoke for the price. I’ve never eaten at a S & S, and from all the comments, using a full service restaurant requires a tipping adding a significant number of dollars to ones meal for two. That tip at S&S would buy a full meal at the Cook Out….As older people who like sit down dining, but on a fixed income…My guess is the Cook Out will win out. OH, my most critical comment on the Cook Out…is the entire lay out of the place, I find very dysfunctional.
This is off topic, but it occurred to me today that one thing that would be great for the Slate Hill development is an artificial ski slope like Snowflex in Lynchburg. Has that idea already come up?
Spiny, I have not heard any news or possible talk about South Peak/Slate Hill developmenting an artificial ski slope. I have not seen the Snowflex in Lynchburg. An artificial ski slope in the Roanoke area sounds like a good idea and could be a big draw..We have so many mountains in this area too.
Steak n Shake’s kitchen is wide open, so customers can see them cooking your food. I was very impressed the first time I ate at one in Richmond and sat at the soda shop style counter. The burgers are fresh not frozen. You can watch them pat out the burgers from fresh ground beef. And the fries are outstanding.
I love S&S! I eat there every time we are visiting family up north. As far as cookout goes…my husband makes a better burger at home. not impressed with it AT ALL.
It looks like they are almost finished. And they have set out chairs now for outdoors dining. So I would think they will probably be opening soon. Why else set out furniture to be exposed to the elements?
i cant wait any longer. i had my first steak and shake burger a month ago down in nc and i fell in love. it def will take some biz from cookout since the burgers are way better and the shakes are premium. i would rather not have all the grease cookout has with their burgers. and i can grill better burgers than cookout sorry to say that.
Steak N shake is hands down the winner in the food department between Cookout or any other fast food chain in that area. The burgers are steak burgers not just ground beef. They cook it open where you can watch them. Burger, Fries, and a drink for around $5. Some combos are even $4. I can cook a burger at home to taste like Cookout. Not steak N shake.
Steak n Shake is just as cheap as Cookout.. I dont like what Cookout season’s their burgers with.. Steak and Shakes burgers are very tastey…
Steak n Shake offers more than just burgers, but breakfast items too. I’m hoping this one will be open 24 hours.
I do think that some of the Cook Out business will go to Steak n Shake, but I think there is enough business to go around between them. Both are reasonably priced.
Both these new places will be a welcome addition to the monthly Advance Auto cruise ins and the Star City Motor Madness.
I’m not a fan of McDonald’s and don’t go to Wendy’s or Taco Bell much. I think there are loyal followings for each of those though.
I will still visit Richie Freeze on Williamson Road. I hope these new places don’t affect them much. I hope their loyal following will keep them open.
I’m looking forward to May 16!
I agree that Cook Outs food has not been that tasty here lately and I am not impressed at all.. now steak n shake on the other hand I grew up with steak n shake we had 7 of them in my home town at one time.. and they were always packed. but not only does steak n shake have burgers and fries and shakes they also have chili mac, chili 3 way, chili 5 way and a lot of other stuff that people will enjoy and I do think steak n shake will take business away from Cook Out and McDonalds both Steak n shakes food is better, plus they are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and they serve their entire menu 24 hours a day 7 days a week… unlike that clown place….
STEAK AND SHAKE WILL OPEN MAY 16TH !!!!
I absolutely love Steak and Shake better than cookout. I cannot wait for one of those fresco melts and shoestring fries yummy. I want it to be open now the only thing that would make the restaurant scene better in Roanoke is if they built a skyline chili here in roanoke
@Chris C: Thanks, that’s what I reported in this blog post.
I have been going to Greensboro to eat steak and shake for years. best burger I ever eat. So glade there is one in Roanok, now I just have to drive from Altavista.
Steak and shake is not just any old burger its made prime cuts of sirloin ground up to make patty hand dipped shake that tho may not have as many flavors as cook out are made with the up most standing qaulity and taste and are as cheap as any other burger place around I think that when they open people will see the amazing qaulity of food great atmosphere and amazing staff you will be amazed at your experience I know cause I am currently an employee there and I can’t wait to serve the great public of the roanoke valley I take pride in my job and your experience so give ie a try I guarantee that you will walk away with something to talk about
The Cookout in Rke sucks……..the food is terrible. Their business will definitely go way down when Steak and Shake opens up. Steak and Shake can’t be beat….hambugers wonderful, straw onion rings……thin crispy fries. Their milkshakes definitely beat the heck out of the Cookout also. Why go to a dive like Cookout when you can walk up the street to a fine restaurant….Steak & Shake?
I COMPLETELY AGREE 100% WITH THE COMMENT FROM SHELIA………COOKOUT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!
Anyone know the hours at the this location?
@Dharlee: The hours are included in this post.