First Ruth's Chris Steak House in Raleigh Now Open at North Hills
Posted: 07-21-2008 : RALEIGH, N.C.

Raleigh, NC — Discerning diners looking for serious steaks in North Carolina’s Capital City can now enjoy the new Ruth's Chris Steak House which opened to the public on Monday, July 21 in the North Hills live-work-play area. The Raleigh restaurant is the second of three Ruth’s Chris Steak Houses opening in North Carolina in 2008 by Big Steaks Management, LLC, a Ruth’s Chris franchisee.

The sleekly redesigned, 8,000-square-foot restaurant features a decorative bar, lounge and dining room as well as private dining and banquet facilities. Guests are able to select from menus that specialize in generous cuts of corn-fed USDA Prime Midwestern beef, custom-aged to the peak of flavor, broiled to order at 1800 degrees to lock in the natural juices and served sizzling on a 500 degree plate, as well as live lobster and daily fresh seafood selections. New Orleans-inspired appetizers, unforgettable desserts and an award-winning wine list round out the menu, all of which have earned the brand national accolades and top Zagat ratings.

The Ruth’s Chris Raleigh location is part of the award-winning, pedestrian-friendly North Hills mixed-use district known as Raleigh’s Midtown. Centrally located at the corner of Six Forks Road and the I-440 Beltline, North Hills’ luxury hotels, townhouses, condominiums, Class A offices and high-end retail make it a perfect fit for a nationally-recognized, upscale steak house.

“Raleigh was just ranked as the nation’s second-best city in which to live by Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, and we are excited to be a part of this sophisticated, cutting edge city that has won so many accolades for its quality of life and business climate,” said Steve de Castro, CEO of Big Steaks Management. “North Hills is a thriving destination for many of our valued customers, and we look forward to welcoming local residents, business travelers and visitors. We have been part of the Raleigh/Cary community for 10 years and are eager to expand our presence into the market.”

“Ruth’s Chris Steak House will be the perfect addition to North Hills," said John Kane, CEO of Kane Realty Corporation. “In addition to other dining and entertainment experiences, we are thrilled to add the world’s largest fine dining restaurant to this community.”

Franchisee Big Steaks Management, LLC of Pikesville, Maryland has operated a Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Cary since 1997, winning “best steakhouse” reviews from patrons and dining critics. On June 16, the company opened a Ruth’s Chris in Wilmington -- the area’s first high-end steak house -- in the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, downtown Wilmington’s largest hotel. The fourth North Carolina location will open in Durham in Renaissance Center at Southpoint this Fall. Each of the three new locations is expected to hire between 60 to 100 team members.

Big Steaks Management started with its first Ruth's Chris Steak House restaurant on Baltimore’s Water Street in 1992, followed by Cary, N.C., Annapolis, two more locations in the Baltimore area, as well as one in Atlantic City, N.J. With these three new North Carolina locations, Big Steaks Management will now operate nine Ruth's Chris Steak House franchises.

The original Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurant was established in 1965 when founder, Ruth Fertel, purchased Chris Steak House in New Orleans. Against the advice of her lawyer and her banker, she mortgaged her house and bought the restaurant, eventually renaming it Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Today, Ruth’s Chris Steak House company is the largest fine dining steak house group in the world with 120 restaurants worldwide, still serving many of Ruth’s original recipes.

About Big Steaks Management, LLC
Headquartered in Pikesville, MD, Big Steaks Management, LLC operates Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurants in Annapolis, Baltimore (Water Street and Pier 5) and Pikesville, MD, as well as in Cary, NC, and Atlantic City, NJ. The company also owns and operates Babalu Grill, Blue Sea Grill and the Havana Club in Baltimore, MD and The Crystal Room in Pikesville, MD. The company currently employs more than 600 people in Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina. www.SeriousSteaks.com.