How A Blizzard Caused LongHorn Steakhouse To Explode In Popularity

Financial struggles can bury a business, but when the issue is compounded by a major weather event, it would take a lucky streak to move numbers out of the red. Fortunately for LongHorn Steakhouse, fortune favored the bold. The chain's humble beginnings were forever changed when a multi-day blizzard hit Atlanta and kept traffic at a standstill. 

In January of 1982, George McKerrow, Jr. was struggling to keep the first LongHorn Steakhouse afloat. Having opened just a year earlier, the restaurant was still trying to establish itself in a competitive market, and early traffic had been slow. When the snowstorm halted the city, the restaurant decided to keep its doors open. The decision might have seemed questionable to higher-ups at the time, but enterprising employees posted a simple sign outside that read "Drinks $1 While It Snows."

It was a surprising success. Drivers who were unable to move poured in from the storm, ordered drinks, and started nibbling on sizzling steaks. What began as a refuge quickly turned into a discovery as customers found an affordable, approachable steakhouse with a lively, honky-tonk atmosphere worth returning to. Soon, word spread about the straight-forward menu, and the story of the storm's special took on a life of its own. 

Unexpectedly, the blizzard — which has since become known as Snow Jam '82 — saved LongHorn Steakhouse as word-of-mouth advertising brought in the business the restaurant was desperately seeking. With renewed momentum and a growing reputation, a second restaurant opened just under two years later, and it, too, became a popular dining destination. The brand leaned into its casual steakhouse identity while focusing on consistency, quality, and a welcoming environment which could be replicated as it expanded. Within a decade, the portfolio grew to 19 restaurants, and LongHorn Steakhouse went public in 1992.

Today, the chain boasts over 600 locations across the United States. Enthusiastic LongHorn Steakhouse diners can feast on a menu of steaks (which we've taken the time to rank), swoon-worthy Brussels sprouts, and ribs that hold their own in a line-up of restaurant chains. If it wasn't for the blizzard and the sign posted outside, the brand may not have survived at all. Instead, a spur-of-the-moment decision combined with a solid concept helped launch a legacy; proving that in the restaurant business, the line between success and collapse can be steak-knife thin.