The Reason Steak 'N Shake Locations Have 'Takhomasak' Signs

Walk into any Steak 'n Shake, and your eye is sure to be drawn to the bright red neon signs that are blinking the strange word "Takhomasak." It has been the burger chain's slogan for the last half century, along with their other famous motto: "In Sight It Must Be Right." Steak 'n Shake founder Gus Belt came up with the motto in order to assure customers that their steakburgers were as fresh as they come. 

Belt had his employees prepare the meals behind the counter in front of customers, doing everything from preparing the burgers to grinding up the meat in full view of everyone. According to Steak 'n Shake, he even went so far as to roll in wheelbarrows full of fresh steaks through the dining room during the restaurant's busiest times, leaving little room for any doubt that his burgers truly were the freshest on the market. But while "In Sight It Must Be Right" is pretty self-explanatory, many customers still leave the restaurant wondering: What on earth is a Takhomasak?

The slogan is meant to be pronounced phonetically — as in tak-hom-a-sak, or "take home a sack." The sack is referring, of course, to a doggy bag of burgers you can bring home with you. According to Route 66 Times, it is also one of the four ways in which a Steak 'n Shake burger can be enjoyed: "Car, table, counter, or TakHomaSak."

Gus Belt got the inspiration for the unique motto from Rockybilt, a restaurant based in Denver, Colorado, which used the phrase "Tak-homa-sak" as their slogan in the 1920s. It also bears a striking similarity to an advertisement that was used by a rival burger joint, The White Spot, who implored their customers to "Buy 'Em by the Sack," according to Restaurant-ing through history. Belt simply revamped the slogan, removed the hyphens, and made it all one distinctive, attention-grabbing word. To this day, die-hard Steak 'n Shake fans know that if they want to enjoy their favorite steakburgers at home or on the go, they can always Takhomasak.