Angus Steakhouse facts for kids
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| Industry | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Founded | London, England (1968) |
| Headquarters |
London
,
England, UK
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Number of locations
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5 |
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Area served
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United Kingdom |
| Products | Steak |
Angus Steakhouse is a well-known chain of restaurants in central London. They are famous for serving delicious steaks. The name "Angus" comes from a special type of beef cattle called Aberdeen Angus, which is from Scotland. While there used to be about 30 Angus Steakhouse restaurants, today there are 5 still open in London. Some restaurants still use the older name, "Aberdeen Steak Houses," on their signs.
Contents
The Story of Angus Steakhouse
Starting Out
The idea for Aberdeen Steak Houses began in the early 1960s. A man named Reginald Eastwood, who started as a butcher at age 15, wanted to create a new kind of steak restaurant. He was inspired by American steak houses. The restaurants looked fancy with big windows and comfy red velvet seats. Their menus included popular dishes like prawn cocktail and Black Forest gateau. Even The Good Food Guide listed these restaurants in the 1960s.
In 1964, Eastwood and his business partner, Thomas Beale, made the company public. This meant people could buy shares in it. A year later, in 1965, another company called Golden Egg bought most of the shares in the 14 Angus restaurants. Later, in 1973, EMI Hotels bought the Golden Egg group.
Changes Over Time
By the 1970s, the restaurants mainly focused on tourists. Many branches were in the West End of London, a popular area for people seeing shows. Angus Steakhouse was part of the bigger Aberdeen Steak Houses group. In the mid-1970s, the company had some disagreements with its workers' union. In 1980, EMI sold 13 of the restaurants to Thistle Hotels.
In 1984, a businessman named Ali Salih bought the group. The restaurants kept their old style and menu from the 1960s. Because of this, some people started to see them as places mostly for tourists. Even so, the business did very well in the 1980s. At its best, it made about £20 million a year and sold 700,000 steaks! In 1989, the company made a profit of £330,000.
Tough Times and New Owners
In the 1990s, the steak business, including Angus Steakhouse, faced problems. This was due to health concerns about beef, like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and later the foot and mouth disease in 2001. The company lost £3 million in the year 2000.
In 2001, Ali Salih sold some restaurant locations for £4 million. After the September 11 attacks, fewer American tourists visited London. This also hurt the business. In 2002, the company had to go into a special process because of £7 million in debt. At that time, the group had many different restaurants, including 16 "Angus Steak House" and six "Aberdeen Steak House" locations.
Special business experts helped the company keep running. Some locations were sold to pay off debts. In 2003, a company called Noble Organisation bought the remaining 21 restaurants. Noble Organisation usually runs amusement arcades. In 2008, the Noble family said they were making the restaurants better and newer.
What People Think
In 2011, a famous actor and comedian named David Mitchell wrote about Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses. He joked that they should be a World Heritage Site because they are "unique to British culture." He said they were known for serving "shoe leather" (meaning tough steak) to tourists. This shows that the restaurants have a very specific and well-known image.
Where to Find Them Now
Today, Angus Steakhouse has five restaurants in London:
- Two are in the West End: one at 21 Coventry Street in Piccadilly Circus, and another on Cranbourn Street in Leicester Square.
- Two are near Oxford Street: one at 243 Argyll Street in Oxford Circus, and another at 10 Woodstock Street near Bond Street.
- One is across from Paddington Station, at 163 Praed Street.
