The Big Change People Were Furious With One Steak 'N Shake For
Steak 'n Shake is known not only for its steakburgers, fries, and popular homemade milkshakes, but also for its sit-down table service, which sets it apart from other fast food burger joints. Since the early 1980s, customers could walk into any Steak 'n Shake location and receive full table service, complete with menus, servers, silverware, and the whole nine yards — at least, they could expect full service in every Steak n' Shake except one (via Restaurant News). In 2016, one Steak 'n Shake location in Texarkana, Texas, went rogue.
When the Texarkana restaurant first opened, it had a full sit-down service just like all the other Steak 'n Shake locations. However, following a series of negative reviews complaining about slow service, the Steak 'n Shake decided to simply scrap the silverware and table service entirely. They changed, seemingly overnight, into a self-service-only location, alerting servers via text message that their services were no longer needed, according to Texarkana FYI.
The Texarkana Steak 'n Shake's self-service was "just like Burger King or McDonald's"
Customers were not pleased with the change, and many were particularly unhappy with the way in which they were informed — via a handwritten note that was taped to the restaurant's front door. The note directed customers to: "Go to counter place order...Pay for you purchase [sic], pick up drinks if any, find a table, pick up your food when your name is called" in a self-service system that is "just like Burger King or McDonald's." Many Steak 'n Shake customers felt the note and overall presentation were very unprofessional.
The Texarkana Steak 'n Shake franchise owner, Rita Morgan, explained to TXK Today, "I did not want to change and make the decision to go to self-service. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was what I had to do after receiving so many bad reviews and being so badly ridiculed on a local 'Cheers and Jeers' page. I care about my guests and I care about the community of Texarkana. I was not trying to offend anyone. I simply want every guest to be happy and have a hot meal." Morgan went on to explain that the note was only intended to be seen by employees, not customers.