The new restaurant now sits where Steak Escape used to be in the Falcon’s Nest, and it’s all ready to go. Employees have been hired, food has been bought and University officials are optimistic about its success.

“[Steak Escape] was the lowest performer in the Student Union,” Jonathan Zachrich, director of the University’s marketing and communications, said.

“The brand was on campus for over 10 years, [where] a brand usually has a life for about 4 to 6 years.”

In response to the low sales, the University’s marketing team sent out a survey to students last year to see what they wanted, Zachrich said. It turns out they wanted burgers.   

In deciding which restaurant to partner with, Zachrich said they had to be sensitive about price, but they also had to pick good quality food with a noticeable brand.

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“Steak ‘n Shake had that sweet spot: price, quality, brand,” he said.

“We’re expecting it’s going to do a lot better.”

The Steak ‘n Shake restaurant in the Falcon’s Nest will not have all the menu items available at all times like other Steak ‘n Shake restaurants have, however, Zachrich said.

“We can’t do specialty burgers all the time, [so those] burgers are in rotation,” he said.

The most popular items on the restaurant’s menu will be available.

The main reason for not having the full menu always available was mostly due to time constraints, Zachrich said.

“This way they’re not waiting five, six, seven minutes,” he said. “The average wait time is three minutes or less.”   

Another restaurant-related idea in the works is the soon-to-be Culinary Studio currently being constructed, Zachrich said. It’s set to be completed in late October or early November, and more coverage will be on this closer to its completion.