Jonathan Segal, director, president and CEO of STK parent The One Group Hospitality Inc., said the restaurant succeeds because it doesn’t just provide customers with dinner and drinks, but with an experience.
“It’s a reinvention of the American steakhouse that seems to resonate in all the cities that we go to,” Segal said.
Gone are the wood-paneled, dark, masculine dining rooms. Instead, STK offers sleek lounges, cool lighting and a central bar. Steaks are served in small, medium and large sizes, which Segal said has helped attract female customers, who now make up 55 percent of the clientele.
Servers are trained to read tables to figure out what kind of night out customers have planned, and groups of men are seated near groups of women to encourage socializing. The music is controlled by a DJ who helps build energy, Segal said.
“When you build the energy in a room two things happen,” he said. “Firstly people become more sociable. [And] people tend to eat faster and drink more. Sales go up, energy goes up, socialization goes up and it’s that continual spiral.”
The average check at STK is $120.
STK ensures a strong culture in new restaurants by doing three weeks of classroom and on-the-floor training of all service staff so they understand and can speak intelligently about the company, as well as do their jobs.
“Then we say, ‘Now we want you to put the manual away and let your personality come out,’” Segal said.
Keys to Success
Creating an experience: By training and empowering staff to read tables and relate to customers, and by using DJs to set the mood, STK creates an experience that feels more like a night out on the town than just a meal.
Flexible menu: Offering small, medium and large steaks allows STK to attract a wider variety of customers than the average steakhouse, and has helped contribute to a clientele that is 55 percent female.
Catering to each market: Understanding that every city has its own culture, STK sends advance teams to study new markets for six weeks before opening a restaurant.
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