Lion's Choice

Red Lion Beef Corporation, doing business as Lion's Choice,[2] is an American fast food restaurant chain based in St. Louis, Missouri, that specializes in roast beef sandwiches. The company was founded in 1967, and opened their first restaurant in Ballwin, Missouri, on October 26, 1967, which remains open today. As of July 2018, there are 26 Lion's Choice restaurants, one in Illinois and the rest in Missouri with most in the St. Louis area: three are franchise-owned and 23 are company-owned.

Lion's Choice
TypeCorporation
IndustryRestaurants
Founded1967
FounderMarv Gibbs and Clint Tobias
Headquarters
St. Louis, Missouri
,
United States
Area served
St. Louis metropolitan area, Kansas City metropolitan area
Key people
ProductsQuick service restaurants, including:
Roast beef · sandwiches
Websitelionschoice.com

Although Lion's Choice primarily specializes in roast beef sandwiches, their menu also includes turkey sandwiches, ham sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, Italian beef sandwiches, French dip sandwiches, hot dogs, soups, salads, side dishes (notably french fries) and desserts (notably frozen custard). The Illinois location also offers breakfast.[3][4] The restaurant was named the Missouri state winner for the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award in 2006 and Best Local Restaurant Chain by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2014.

History

Lion's Choice was founded in 1967 by Marv Gibbs, a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis[5] who worked as a chemical engineer for Monsanto, and his brother-in-law Clint Tobias. The first restaurant, which remains open today, opened on October 26, 1967, in Ballwin, Missouri. It served roast beef sandwiches, ham sandwiches, and turkey sandwiches for 69 cents each.[6] The restaurant was originally named Brittany Beef but quickly changed to Red Lion Beef House. Two years later, Lion's Choice opened its second store in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and changed their name to Lion's Choice, after they could not trademark the name because Red Lion Hotels Corporation was already using the Red Lion name.[7][8]

In 2013, the founders sold the company to Millstone Capital Advisors and BlackRock Holdings, equity groups led by St. Louis real estate developers Bob Millstone and Mark Disper, for an undisclosed amount. Under the new ownership, in 2015, Lion's Choice opened a restaurant in Ellisville, Missouri, their first in ten years.[9][10][11]

In May 2017, Lion's Choice named Mike Kupstas, a longtime veteran of the foodservice industry, as its new CEO. Prior to this appointment, Kupstas held senior executive and marketing positions at Panera Bread, Long John Silver's and Red Lobster.[12] Kupstas reportedly plans to launch new locations not just in the St. Louis area, but potentially throughout the Midwest, telling the St. Louis Business Journal: "No doubt beef consumption is greater in the Midwest. It’s a great place to start. But the product is consumed across the country ... and has the potential to be a lot bigger than the Midwest."[10]

In September 2017, Lion's Choice launched its first food truck. The truck, which is 29 feet in length and custom-built, makes roast beef sandwiches, fries, and custard on board. In addition to other popular food-truck locations, the truck makes stops at Saint Louis University home soccer games and Scott Air Force Base. Customers can also book the truck for corporate and private events.[13][14]

In April 2018, Lion's Choice launched online ordering at all 23 of its company-owned restaurants. The technology was created by New-York based Olo. Customers order online by visiting the restaurant's official website, or by downloading the free Lion's Choice mobile app available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.[15][16]

In July 2018, Lion's Choice broke ground on two new locations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, which are scheduled to open in November 2018. Furthermore, three more new locations in the Kansas City area are expected to open in 2019.[17][18]

Products

Sandwiches
Original roast beef sandwich, cooked well done

Lion's Choice specializes in roast beef sandwiches.[7] The company describes the meat as "roasted beef" because of the amount of time the meat is prepared.[8] The roast beef sandwich comes in three sizes: Original, Large (50% more beef than Original on a steak bun) and King (double the beef of Original). In addition to roast beef sandwiches, the menu includes hickory-smoked ham sandwiches, smokehouse pulled pork sandwiches, roasted turkey breast sandwiches, Italian beef sandwiches, and French dip. Lion's Choice also serves hot dogs.[19]

Sides

As sides, Lion's Choice offers french fries, coleslaw, baked potatoes, and veggie sticks (carrots, celery sticks, broccoli florets, and grape tomatoes). The french fries are skin-on, gluten free, and without any added salt, and the baked potato can be loaded with any combination of the following: butter, chives, cheddar, bacon bits, broccoli, or chili.[19]

Soups and salads

Lion's Choice offers a variety of soups and salads. Its salads include a side salad; "LC Seasonal", which has carrots, walnuts, dried cranberries, tomatoes and blue cheese topped with bistro dressing; "Butcher Block Cobb", which has roast beef, turkey and ham, paired with blue cheese, shredded cheddar, greens, tomatoes, and carrots topped with bistro dressing. In addition to seasonal/daily featured soups, Lion's Choice's soups include chicken noodle soup, cream of broccoli soup, and hearty chili (with roast beef).[19]

Desserts

Lion's Choice has gained particular renown for their frozen custard cones, which come in mini and regular sizes and can optionally be dipped in chocolate. The restaurant also serves milkshakes, cookies (chocolate chip, macadamia nut, or sugar), sundaes, root beer floats, and concretes.[19]

Charitable contributions

Lion's Choice has sponsored a number of charities and teams, such as Shamrocks Against Dystrophy,[20] the St. Louis County Library Reading Club,[21] the MS 150 Bike Tour,[22] Adopt-a-Highway,[23] and Trailnet.[24]

Honors and awards

Lion's Choice has received many awards and honors. It was the Missouri state winner for the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award in 2006.[25] The restaurant chain was named Best Fast Food by the Riverfront Times in 2008.[26] In 2014, the Riverfront Times named it the Best Chain Restaurant,[27] and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named it their Best Local Restaurant Chain.[28]

References
  1. Brown, Lisa (September 8, 2016). "Former Panera exec Fine joins Lion's Choice as COO". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  2. "Red Lion Beef Corporation: Private Company Information". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  3. "New Lion's Choice in O'Fallon will be the first in the country to serve breakfast". Belleville News-Democrat. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  4. "This new restaurant will replace Tim Hortons in O'Fallon". bnd. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  5. "The Road Less Traveled". magazine.wustl.edu. Washington University in St. Louis. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  6. Baehr, Cheryl. "Happy 50th Birthday, Lion's Choice — the Pride of St. Louis". Riverfront Times. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  7. "History". www.lionschoice.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  8. "10 Beefy Facts About Lion's Choice". October 2, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  9. Brown, Lisa. "Lion's Choice founder sells chain to investors with plans to expand". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  10. "New owners, a food truck and expansion: How Lion's Choice got its roar back". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  11. "St. Louis-based Private Equity Groups Announce Purchase of Lion's Choice Restaurant Chain | Millstone Capital Advisors". www.millstoneca.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  12. reports, From staff. "Lion's Choice hires new CEO as it celebrates 50 years". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  13. "Lion's Choice hits the road with new food truck". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  14. Brown, Lisa. "Roast beef chain Lion's Choice adds food truck for mobile sales". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  15. "Lion's Choice launches online ordering". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  16. "Lion's Choice Debuts Online Ordering and App". QSR magazine. April 16, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  17. Feldt, Brian. "Lion's Choice expands with plans for Kansas City area restaurants". stltoday.com. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  18. "St. Louis cult favorite coming to KC with slow-roasted beef & 25-cent mini cones". kansascity. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  19. "Food". www.lionschoice.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  20. "Lion's Choice Presents Check To Morgan Fritz, MDA's 2005 National Goodwill Ambassador". Lion's Choice. 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  21. "Lion's Choice Supports St. Louis County Library Reading Club". Lion's Choice. 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  22. "Team Lion's Choice Ready for 2006 MS 150 Bike Tour". Lion's Choice. 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  23. "Sponsor Spotlight: Lion's Choice". Adopt A Highway. August 27, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  24. "Lion's Choice Sponsors Trailnet in 2007". Lion's Choice. 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  25. "Lion's Choice Restaurant Corporation Selected as Missouri State Winner for the National Restaurant Association's 2006 Restaurant Neighbor Award". Lion's Choice. 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  26. "Best Fast Food". Riverfront Times. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  27. "Best Chain Restaurant". Riverfront Times. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  28. "Best local restaurant chain". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
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