Hilltop Steakhouse

The Hilltop Steakhouse, founded in 1961 by Frank Giuffrida,[1] was a chain of restaurants in Eastern Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire that existed from 1961 to 2013. The original location opened in Saugus, Massachusetts in 1961, and operated until 2013. In a hilltop location with a giant, saguaro cactus sign, the restaurant was a landmark on Route 1 north of Boston. Today, the restaurant exists only as a butcher shop in Weymouth. Other locations where the restaurant was open was in Hartford, Nashua, Braintree, and Springfield.

The Saugus property has been sold and the items auctioned off.[2] A restaurant and shopping plaza have been proposed for the site, opening as early as October 2015.[3]

Operations

The Hilltop was known, in part for their decorations outside including a 68 foot high neon cactus and cows. At least at one time, they were "America's largest restaurant, both in number of customers served and sales volume. On a typical Saturday, the Hilltop, a sprawling Ponderosa that accommodates 1,300 carnivores, rustles up about 7,800 meals. It serves nearly 2.4 million customers annually, three times the volume of the nation's second-largest restaurant, Tavern on the Green in Manhattan." In 1987, they exceeded $27 million gross.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Oh, to Dine in Saugus, Mass.
  2. ↑ Hilltop Steakhouse auctions off memories
  3. ↑ Hilltop Steak House property sold in Saugus
  4. ↑ Oh, to Dine in Saugus, Mass.

External links