8 Things Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Doesn't Want You To Know
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is the kind of place that you can go for a celebration. The locale's sleek decor, dimly-lit ambiance, and expensive menu mean that it's hardly a place to just swing by after work — that is, unless you are secretly a character from "Mad Men." And, let's be real, the steakhouse's strictly business casual dress code gives it the formal feel that many patrons only want on special occasions. Because of this, birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations just feel better at Ruth's Chris.
To make things even sweeter, the restaurant's history as a family-owned business makes it the sort of place that many diners wish to celebrate with their own loved ones. As explained on the official Ruth's Chris website, the chain was founded by Ruth Fertel in 1965. Described as "a single mom with two boys," this determined restauranteur started her business by purchasing a small New Orleans steakhouse. Over the years, her enterprise expanded — but only after Fertel learned how to master the art of hospitality. All in all, this story — and the unique atmosphere at Ruth's Chris — gives the steakhouse a completely family-centric vibe.
In reality, though, Ruth's Chris is not necessarily the family business that its website makes it out to be. The truth is that the steakhouse is a large chain that belongs to a major corporation — and shares many of the problems that plague other big businesses.
1. Ruth's Chris was bought by a larger corporation
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse's social media is practically bursting with images of the founder, Ruth Fertel, fishing, dining, and whipping up a steak on the grill, in an effort to promote a family-run vibe. However, the restaurant is decidedly no longer a family-run restaurant chain, at all. If anything, ththey seem to be hiding the reality that the chain is owned by Darden Restaurants — a massive corporation with several major chains in its portfolio. The restaurant goliath bought Ruth's Chris Steakhouse's former parent company, Ruth's Hospitality Group, in 2023 for a whopping $715 million.
This means the former family business is now owned by the same people who run other major chains, such as the Olive Garden and the Capital Grille. Of course, it is difficult to determine how this sale will impact the restaurant's quality. But, one thing is clear: Ruth's Chris is no mom-and-pop shop anymore.
2. The company has been accused of racial discrimination
Unfortunately, like many other large corporations, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse has faced multiple lawsuits over the years. And, following an alleged 2019 incident, the restaurant chain was sued for racial discrimination. As reported by Action News 5, the lawsuit claimed that a Black couple was harassed while they were trying to enjoy their anniversary dinner at one of the chain's Memphis, Tennessee locations.
One of the plaintiffs, Deshun Fletcher, said that he and his wife were excited to enjoy a gorgeous spread of steaks and sides ... until they were called the "n-word" by a white man seated nearby. In an attempt to get the situation taken care of, Fletcher said that he asked the waiter for support, only for his concerns to be brushed aside. As a result, the plaintiff alleged that he confronted the white restaurant patron about the racial slurs. It was at this point that Fletcher says the restaurant manager intervened, asking his party to leave the restaurant and allowing the white man to stay.
Speaking to Action News 5 about the case, Fletcher opened up about the way that the alleged exchange made him feel. The disappointed restaurant patron revealed, "It was just a weird... mostly humiliating." He went on to share just how horrific the alleged episode of discrimination truly was: "Until you really experience something like that, you hear about it, but it's a feeling you can't explain."
3. Ruth's Chris faced a gender discrimination lawsuit
Deshun Fletcher's lawsuit is far from being the only legal battle that Ruth's Chris Steakhouse has faced over the years. In 2011, Reuters reported that the restaurant's female employees filed a class-action lawsuit in which they alleged that the company discriminated against its workers based on sex. Per the outlet, the lawsuit claimed, "The work environment at RCSH is one that is demeaning to women, reflects a culture of male domination and female subjugation, and is a causative factor in the discrimination against women in compensation, promotion, and termination."
At the time, women held very few positions of power at the company. In fact, despite the reality that Ruth's Chris was founded by a single mom, female executives were underrepresented in the business' uppermost levels. According to Forbes, women represented just "14% of executive and corporate vice president positions." Even worse, just one woman was seated on the company's board.
Even in light of these numbers, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse continued to defend itself — and brand itself as a female-friendly business. In an email to Forbes, the company's then-SVP and Chief Branding Officer, Cheryl Henry, pointed back to the company's origin story as a way to prove its alleged receptiveness to female employees. Henry wrote, "In 1965, Ruth Fertel founded this company as a single mother. She created a legendary culture of hospitality and service, and we are proud to continue to nurture and foster our inclusive environment."
4. The restaurant received 20 million in pandemic aid
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the restaurant industry was hit hard. Because of lockdowns and other public health restrictions, eateries across the U.S. were forced to shut down. During this time, smaller establishments were particularly affected, as they were largely unable to pay their rent and support their staff. As a result, the federal government introduced the Paycheck Protection Program (informally known as "PPP loans"), which granted loans to small businesses that were struggling to keep their doors open.
Interestingly, though, small businesses were not the only ones that applied for PPP loans. Because of a loophole in the legislation, big corporations — like Ruth's Chris Hospitality Group — were also able to apply. In fact, two of the company's subsidiaries were able to receive a whopping $10 million in federal aid, apiece.
In the end, though, Ruth's Chris' PPP loan strategy seemed to backfire as the chain's customers began to question why such a big corporation was able to receive government funds at a time when many smaller businesses were struggling. Before long, a Change.Org petition demanded that Ruth's Chris return the loan money. The petition, which was signed by 262,394 people, stated, "This is a travesty, and a disgusting display of corporate greed during a time of disaster. Tell Ruth's Chris Steak House 'Return the money now!'" Ultimately, the restaurant returned the aid money (via NBC News).
5. Ruth's Chris increased prices during the pandemic
Even though Ruth's Chris Steakhouse applied for a massive amount of federal aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant did not seem to struggle too much in the months following the lockdowns. On the contrary, the post-lockdown era saw the business raking in significant amounts of cash. Ruth's Chris actually made more money in parts of 2021 than it had in 2019 as the corporation brought in $104.2 million during Q3 of 2021, compared to $103 million two years before.
Even so, Ruth's Chris increased its prices significantly during this time, citing inflation as the reason for the hike. Before the pandemic, the chain only raised prices between 1 and 3% per annum. Following the COVID-19 crisis, however, the steakhouse brought its prices up even more than usual. By November of 2021, Ruth's Chris had begun requiring customers to pay about 4% more than they had the year before for the exact same products.
Although this increase was hardly popular among restaurant patrons, the chain has claimed confidence in its menu pricing. After all, Ruth's Chis has branded itself as a luxury experience — and some believe that a high price tag must go along with it. As the steakhouse's then-CFO, Kristy Chipman, told the press, "We are thoughtful and surgical with these price increases to ensure we balance profitability with the value we've been known for in the fine-dining category."
6. The restaurant was fined by the Philadelphia Department of Labor
Although dining at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse can be pricey, the restaurant chain's employees have not always been given the best working standards — at least, that's according to a 2022 piece by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The outlet reported that the Philadelphia Department of Labor actually fined the restaurant for failing to comply with local labor laws at one of its downtown locations.
At the time, Candace Chewning, who worked as the Director of the Department of Labor's Office of Worker Protections, told the press that the steakhouse failed to provide its workers with their work schedules two weeks in advance, as stipulated by the city's Fair Workweek law. Chewning also said that Ruth's Chris did not comply with laws mandating that restaurants give their employees a "good faith estimate" of how many hours they will work in a given 90-day period.
As a result of these violations, the Philadelphia Department of Labor required Ruth's Chris to compensate approximately 50 workers. Approximately 30 employees were also paid $1,050 each in compensation for their troubles.
7. The steaks are flavored with butter
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse may have faced legal issues in the past, but that is not the only thing the restaurant chain would like to keep on the down-low. When it comes to the eateries' actual steaks, the reason for their popularity might not be their quality alone. It seems that Ruth's Chris has relied quite a bit on butter to keep its meat tasting mean.
According to Ruth Fertel's 2002 obituary in The New York Times, the late restauranteur was always a huge fan of using this ingredient to infuse her steaks with flavor. Per the outlet, Fertel believed that the best way to cook a prime steak was by broiling it at an impressive 1,800 degrees before serving it up with a huge chunk of butter on top. In practice, this means that Ruth's Chris steaks are not necessarily tasty due to much more than the addition of a delicious dollop of Fertel's not-so-secret ingredient.
8. You can actually wear jeans to Ruth's Chris
House recipes are not the only thing that Ruth's Chris Steakhouse likes to keep under wraps. The restaurant's dress code also offers a few loopholes that its executives probably don't want you to know about. If you've been to one of the restaurants, you'll likely know that patrons are not allowed to wear poolside clothing, exposed underwear, gym attire, or shirts with offensive language. Interestingly, however, blue jeans are completely acceptable.
Of course, that does not mean that blue jeans are particularly encouraged by the steakhouse. Because Ruth's Chris likes to maintain a more formal atmosphere, the chain does not necessarily advertise the fact that jeans still technically fit into its dress code. Thus, if you do decide to wear blue jeans to Ruth's Chris, you're still not allowed to show up in a paint-splattered pair with giant holes in the knees.
Instead, go for a nice and neutral pair of denim slacks — and keep in mind that white jeans or black jeans tend to be more formal than blue ones. You can also maintain a nice appearance by wearing your jeans with a nice blouse or even a collared shirt. This will allow you to wear your most comfortable clothing, all while blending into the steakhouse's uniquely formal atmosphere.