May 13, 2004

Rib Crib Turns Twelve!

A little over twelve years ago, Bret Chandler had a vision - a vision of serving great food at a fair price in fun surroundings that families could enjoy. With a tremendous amount of hard work, belief in his idea, and a little luck, Bret's vision became a reality. Today, with 28 restaurants open, one undergoing pre-opening training (scheduled to open next Monday), and six more in various stages of construction, it’s safe to say we've come a long way since our Grand Opening on May 11th twelve years ago!

The first Rib Crib, a remodeled abandoned house, had no fryer, so the side items were beans, potato salad, coleslaw, and potato chips. The meat selection was a little less extensive consisting of chopped and sliced brisket, St. Louis ribs, hot links, Polish sausage, bologna, and ham. Tuesday night's special was marinated chicken breast - until we ran out! Barbecue sauce was served in ramekins with handles; the back door was a screen door; all dishes were washed by hand (sometimes until the wee hours of the morning); uniforms didn't exist; menus were printed on red cardstock with raised black lettering; pink, green, and blue sheets were the precursor to the DCS; operating hours were 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM in the winter (we stayed open an hour later in summer); and our marketing slogan was, "Better eat it because you can't beat it!"

Congratulations to Bret and thanks to every Rib Crib employee - past and present. If we've come this far in twelve years, who knows what another dozen will hold!

 

Rib Crib. Where Bold Began.

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