Quaker Steak & Lube is a

casual dining Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the US, while categor ...

restaurant chain based in

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania Bloomsburg is the only incorporated town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States, of which it is also the county seat. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania and is located southwest of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre along ...

. It was founded in 1974, in

Sharon, Pennsylvania Sharon is a city in western Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city, located along the banks of the Shenango River on the state border with Ohio, is about northeast of Youngstown, about southeast of Cleveland and about northwe ...

. The original restaurant was built by George "Jig" Warren III and Gary "Mo" Meszaros in an abandoned gas station in downtown Sharon, and decorated with license plates and old automobiles.

History

In the aftermath of the

1973 oil crisis In October 1973, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced that it was implementing a total oil embargo against countries that had supported Israel at any point during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which began after Eg ...

, amidst a wave of gas stations permanently closing, Jig Warren and Mo Meszaros wanted to preserve the culture of old gas stations and high-powered

muscle car A muscle car is an American-made two-door sports coupe with a powerful engine, marketed for its performance. In 1949, General Motors introduced its 88 with the company's OHV Rocket V8 engine, which was previously available only in its lux ...

s. This idea eventually became a single Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant in Sharon, PA and eventually a chain of casual dining restaurants. The original Quaker Steak & Lube location, opened in 1974, includes a 1936

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

on the original

hydraulic Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...

grease rack. On November 16, 2015, immediately after filing for

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

, the company was acquired by

TravelCenters of America TravelCenters of America LLC is the largest publicly traded full-service truck stop and travel center company in the United States. The company operates full service centers, convenience stores, and restaurants under the TravelCenters of America ...

, who planned to expand the chain, both in its number of

truck stop A truck stop (known as a service station in the United Kingdom, a travel center by major chains in the United States and a roadhouse in rural Australia) is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made f ...

s and its number of standalone restaurant locations. JDK Management purchased Quaker Steak & Lube from TravelCenters for $5 million in early 2021.

Awards

The restaurant has received over 70 awards in various national and regional competitions as of 2023.

Media

The Pointe at North Fayette location in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, Pennsylvania, was featured in the

Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, who previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in Manhattan, with ...

series ''

Man v. Food ''Man v. Food'' is an American food reality television series. It premiered on December 3, 2008 on the Travel Channel. The program was originally hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman explores the "big foo ...

''. The episode's challenge was to consume six "Atomic" chicken wings, the hottest wings on Quaker Steak's menu at the time. Host Adam Richman completed the challenge in the allotted time and was awarded a commemorative

bumper sticker A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker designed to be attached to the rear of a car or truck, often on the bumper. They are commonly sized at around and are typically made of PVC. Bumper stickers serve various purposes, including p ...

and a place on the restaurant's "Atomic Wall of Flame".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Quaker Steak And Lube Regional restaurant chains in the United States Restaurants established in 1974 Steakhouses in the United States Cuisine of the Mid-Atlantic states Restaurants in Pennsylvania Privately held companies based in Pennsylvania Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015 1974 establishments in Pennsylvania Sharon, Pennsylvania Columbia County, Pennsylvania American companies established in 1974