The Surprising Louisiana Story Behind Ruth’s Chris Steak House

If you've done any traveling whatsoever, you've more than likely run across at least one Ruth's Chris Steak House. Dallas, New Orleans...pretty much every major city in American has a Ruth's Chris. Heck, most major cities internationally have a Ruth's Chris at this point. They're an 'upscale' international chain of steakhouses. Fairly common stuff.

But, here's something you may not know about Ruth's Chris - the company started right here in Louisiana. I sure didn't know that. But, in typical Louisiana fashion, Ruth's Chris Steak House story isn't a straight line - there's all sorts of twists and turns and little side trips. Ever wonder why it's named "Ruth's Chris"? It's sort of an interesting tale. Let's dive into the diverse and interesting Louisiana history of Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Nearly 100 Years Ago, Chris' Steak House Opened in New Orleans

Yeah, believe it or not, Ruth's Chris Steak House is almost 100. The restaurant was born on February 27th, 1927 - 98 years ago - created by New Orleans businessman Chris Matulich. The original location at 1100 North Broad Street (Close to the old Fair Grounds Race Course) only seated about 60 people, had no parking lot and wasn't exactly the upscale experience that current lovers of the restaurant are used to.

Matulich owned the restaurant for roughly 38 years. But, in typically New Orleans fashion, that's not exactly true. Matulich sold the business at least 6 times in those 38 years.  He'd sell, the new owners would lose money and fail, Matulich would buy the restaurant back for pennies on the dollar.

This carried on until 1965 when Matulich sold the business for a final time to single mother Ruth Fertel of Port Sulphur, Louisiana. This is where the Ruth's Chris we know today began to take shape.

Ruth Fertel Takes Over & The Future of Ruth's Chris Takes Shape

Ruth Fertel is where the restaurant we know today begins to take shape. According to legend, when Ruth got divorced, she was looking for an opportunity to make enough money to send her sons to college. Her family was in the restaurant business and thought she could make money at it too. Against all advice against it, she bought Chris' Steak House.

She took some elements from her brother's Port Sulphur restaurant and family recipes as a foundation to build what the restaurant would become. And, despite everyone else who bought the restaurant previously failing, she succeeded.

In fact, for many many years, Chris' Steak House was the only upscale restaurant in New Orleans with an all-female wait staff - aka the Broads on Broad Street.

The Lasting Name Change and Global Expansion

Again, like most things in Louisiana, the name change wasn't planned. In fact, it was an accident and one that Ruth said in an interview with Fortune Magazine that she hated.

So, how did Chris's Steak House become Ruth's Chris Steak House? Simple: A fire and legal contract. In 1976, the original location burned down and Fertel was forced to move into a new location a few blocks away at 711 North Broad Street.

However, I mentioned before that Chris bought and sold the restaurant a half dozen times. The sales agreement between Ruth & Matulich stated she couldn't use the original name at any other address - I would presume that he could keep the name and brand in the eventuality that he took the place back over.

So, Ruth wanted to let people know that this was the same restaurant, just in a different location but she couldn't use the original name - thus Ruth's Chris Steak House was born. A nod to the past but with her name out in front to keep it legal.

A year after the fire, the restaurant expanded for the first time. A Baton Rouge businessman named TJ Moran LOVED Ruth's Chris and ate there all the time. But, wanted a location closer to home. So, with permission from Ruth, the first franchise location opened in Baton Rouge...just because TJ wanted those signature steaks a little closer to home. Between 1977 & 1999 when Fertel sold the company, the number of Ruth's Chris expanded to 66 locations generated over $200 million in annual revenues.

Does Ruth's Chris Still Have Any Louisiana Connections?

The franchise has sold several times since 1999. They were bought by Madison Dearborn in 1999. They became a publicly traded company named Ruth's Hospitality Group in 2005.They were purchased by Darden Restaurants in 2023 for $715 million.

Unfortunately, the corporate headquarters were moved out of New Orleans to Florida in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina. The original location was closed due to damage caused by the Hurricane and relocated to the Harrah's Hotel.

However, the original flagship location on Broad Street was donated to Tulane University and is now the Ruth Fertel Community Health Center.

So, while Ruth's may no longer be headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana is still the central part of the franchise that keeps them alive and thriving today.