The Unconventional Way Steak 'N Shake's Founder Proved Its Food Was Fresh

If you're someone who likes to know the origin and freshness of the ingredients used to make your favorite restaurant meal, you might be impressed with the story of Gus Belt, the founder of burger chain Steak 'n Shake. Way back in the 1930s, he took an unusual and dramatic step to show his customers that the food cooked on the premises was always super fresh.

According to the restaurant's website, Belt "was determined to serve his customers the finest burgers and shakes in the business. To prove his point that his burgers were exceptionally prime, he would wheel in a barrel of steaks (including round, sirloin, and T-bones) and grind the meat into burgers right in front of the guests."

The thinking behind this move? It assured diners, who could see the ingredients and the meals being prepared through the glass windows of the open kitchen, that the food was fresh and being made in a clean environment. And it was Belt's striking decision to put his steaks at the front and center of the show that led to the burger chain's famous slogan, "In Sight It Must Be Right". Continuing with the brand's commitment to delivering only the finest menu items, Steak 'n Shake switched to cooking all its fries in 100% beef tallow this year, harking back to the way they used to be prepared many years ago before the rise of seed oils.

While it's rare to hear of restaurateurs wheeling a barrel of steaks into their eateries these days, many places still make it a point to showcase the provenance of the ingredients used in their kitchens. For example, Five Guys stores its daily delivery of potatoes on the dining floor for diners to see. These potatoes are then chipped into fries on site (and in some cases you can see into the kitchen area and get a glimpse of the potato machine in action). This popular burger chain also takes care to highlight the origin of their potatoes by writing down where they've come from on a potato board stuck to the wall. Other popular burger restaurants, like Wendy's, Shake Shack, and In-N-Out burger make their patties fresh every day too (even if customers don't get a visual of the steaks that their ground beef patties are made from).

If you enjoy a little spectacle with your dinner but don't fancy a burger, then Teppanyaki is an awesome choice. The theatre of it all is so much fun and because it's an interactive experience you can freely ask for customizations and double check that every bit of your meal is made just the way you like.