Philadelphia Restaurant Steak 48's $100 Minimum Policy Has Social Media Sizzling With Criticism
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- One of Philadelphia's newest restaurants has a new requirement that has social media buzzing. Steak 48 on Broad and Spruce Streets has been busy all Wednesday evening. A diverse group of diners told us that they were reminded of the substantial minimum by staff once inside.
The tweets were mostly comical, some inquisitive, as a discussion over a Philadelphia steakhouse's minimum price tag went viral on Wednesday.
It started when the account belonging to Philly's "The Realest Podcast Ever" tweeted a photo of a sign on Steak 48's, door, noting a $100 food and beverage minimum per person.
They said no brokies ???????????????? #Steak48 no more appetizer dates and step photos pic.twitter.com/yk2Tf64KxH
— OFFICIALTRPE.com (@OfficialTrpe) May 26, 2021
"That place is always crowded. It's tough to get a reservation. I've been several times," said Rev. Marshall Mitchell with Salem Baptist Church of Abington.
Mitchell was among tens of thousands who weighed in online.
"My mother is 84 years old. She's not going to buy a tomahawk steak and three cocktails. She might not get to $100 so what are we saying to that customer?" he said.
In a statement, Steak 48 wrote in part: "Like many restaurants in our industry, we've had to make some updates to our policies, like the $100 per person minimum in effort to support our staff and restaurant's operations, and provide the ability to be successful as a steakhouse designed for the full sit-down experience..."
Rev. Mitchell says, though, that he understands why some feel that the pricetag notice targets Black customers.
"This is an old American recipe that is oftentimes cooked in a different way that we've seen before," he said.
Steak 48's dress code is business casual across its four locations. Chicago's site also has implemented the $100 minimum.
In a lighthearted tweet, one user who was not a fan of Steak48's move posted, "I'll take Steak 38 (the steakhouse inside a motel in Cherry Hill) over Steak 48 anyway."
The average price of a regular-sized prime steak at Steak 48 ranges from $48 to $74.