York Steak House was a national chain of steakhouse restaurants in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was among several chains owned at the time by cereal manufacturer

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...

. By 1982, there were nearly 200 restaurants in 27 states from Texas to Maine. Though popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the majority of its locations shut down in 1989. The fate of the rest of the chain after 1989 still remains unclear. One source reported that the remaining York Steak House chain was eventually purchased by Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation while other sources reported that the remaining York Steak House chain was sold in 1989 to U.S.A. Cafes Inc., a major franchisee of

Bonanza Steakhouse Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse are a chain of buffet/steakhouse restaurants that are a part of Homestyle Dining LLC based in Plano, Texas. Its menu includes steaks, seafood, and chicken entrées, all of which come with their buffe ...

s, for conversion to the Bonanza brand. The restaurants, located primarily in

shopping malls A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

, generally had a floorplan of a

cafeteria A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school ...

: cold items on one side, hot items on the other, with the cashier at the end. The decor was composed of subdued lighting, heavy wooden furniture, and iron chandeliers. The restaurants were run cafeteria style, with a-la-carte pricing of items. Tipping was not allowed at any of its restaurants. There was an extra charge for pats of butter and sour cream.

History

The first York Steak House was opened in 1966 by Eddie Grayson and Bernie Gros in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. The second unit of the chain was built and operated by Grayson's brother Howard inside the

Maine Mall The Maine Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in South Portland, Maine, United States. Owned and managed by Brookfield Properties, it is the largest shopping mall in the state of Maine, and the second-largest in northern New England, behind New Hamp ...

South Portland, Maine South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state, incorporated in 1898. At the 2020 census, the city population was 26,498. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is sit ...

, when the mall first opened in 1971. In April 1977, York Steak House was purchased by General Mills. At the time of the acquisition, York had 47 units.Alternate Link
via

ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...

. Another source claimed that York had 150 at the time of its sale to General Mills. In the early 1980s, many of the York Steak House locations were converted into a new concept called York's Choices, which featured a round bakery case/kiosk that sold its signature cakes and pies at the front of the store. Although it is not very clear when General Mills disposed of the York Steak House chain, it is known that York Steak House was not part of General Mills' portfolio of restaurant chains when

Darden Restaurants Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando. As of January 2022, the firm owns two fine dining restaurant chains: Eddie V's and The Capital Grille; and six casual dining restaurant chains: O ...

was spun off in 1995. After General Mills sold the chain, a limited number of York Steak Houses continued to operate for several years as independent restaurants. As of 2017, only one restaurant is known to remain in operation using the York name, in

, near the now-defunct Westland Mall. This location became an independently-owned franchised operation in 1989. It largely retains the signature look and cafeteria-style format of the former chain.

Notes

GM Restaurants sprints for next summit
''Nation's Restaurant News'', December 18, 1989, by Rick Van Warner (accessed December 25, 2007)
How to succeed through failure: the General Mills Restaurants story
''Nation's Restaurant News'', December 18, 1989, by Charles Bernstein (accessed December 25, 2007)

written in 2007 (accessed August 14, 2015 via archive.org).

References

External links

* {{Restaurants in Ohio Steakhouses in the United States Defunct steakhouses Defunct restaurant chains in the United States General Mills brands Restaurants disestablished in 1989 1989 disestablishments in the United States Restaurants in Ohio 1966 establishments in Ohio Restaurants established in 1966