Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses originally owned by Ali Salih and trading as either Angus Steak Houses or Aberdeen Steak Houses are a chain of steak houses with a history dating back to the 1960s[1] primarily trading in prominent locations in the West End of London. At its peak, the chain had more than 32 restaurants with sales exceeding 700,000 meals per year.[2] It was considered by some to be as much a part of the visitors' view of London as Buckingham Palace due to its distinctive appearance.[3]

[edit] Decline

Although perceived as popular among tourists, the restaurant suffered from a decline in business in 2001 when Foot and Mouth Disease plagued the United Kingdom.[4]. This followed an earlier crisis, during which even a £5 special couldn't draw sufficient customers.[5]

In 2002, the restaurant went into receivership with about £7 million in debt. The owner cited BSE and threats of war, which were keeping American visitors from London as the primary reasons for the chain's demise.[6] Some newspaper reviews instead mentioned the quality and the mainly tourist clientele. [7][8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The Real Story of 1966 and all That", The Times, 2006-03-27. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. 
  2. ^ Alleyne, Richard. "Steak Houses Will Soon be Very Rare", The Daily Telegraph, 2003-03-03. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. 
  3. ^ "Who Goes There?", The Daily Telegraph, 2001-05-17. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. 
  4. ^ "Who Goes There?", The Daily Telegraph, 2001-05-17. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. 
  5. ^ Serrill, Michael. "Mad Cows and Englishmen", Time, 1996-04-01. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. 
  6. ^ "Adieu, Angus", The Daily Telegraph, 2003-03-04. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. 
  7. ^ Flogging a dead cow - review and article in the Guardian.
  8. ^ Review from The Spectator.