Lion's Choice

Red Lion Beef Corporation, doing business as Lion's Choice,[2] is an American fast food restaurant chain based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving roast beef sandwiches and other menu items. The company was founded in 1952 and opened its first restaurant in Ballwin, Missouri, on October 26, 1967, which remains open today. As of May 2021, there are 62 Lion's Choice restaurants in St. Louis and Kansas City.

Lion's Choice
TypeCorporation
IndustryRestaurants
Founded1967
FounderMarv Gibbs and Clint Tobias
Headquarters
St. Louis, Missouri
,
United States
Area served
St. Louis metropolitan area, Kansas City metropolitan area
Key people
ProductsQuick service restaurants, including:
Roast beef · sandwiches
Websitelionschoice.com

In addition to roast beef sandwiches, Lion's Choice offers turkey sandwiches, ham sandwiches, Italian beef sandwiches, French dip sandwiches, hot dogs, soups, salads, side dishes, and desserts.[3][4]

History

Lion's Choice was founded in 1967 by Marv Gibbs, a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis[5] who worked as a chemical engineer for Monsanto, and Arthur Morey. The first restaurant opened on October 26, 1967, in Ballwin, Missouri. The location served roast beef sandwiches, ham sandwiches, and turkey sandwiches for 69 cents each.[6] The restaurant was originally named Brittany Beef but quickly changed to Red Lion Beef House. Two years later, Lion's Choice opened its second store in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and changed its name to Lion's Choice, after they could not trademark the name because the Red Lion name was already being used by Red Lion Hotels Corporation.[7][8]

In 2013, the founders sold the company to Millstone Capital Advisors and BlackRock Holdings, equity groups led by St. Louis real estate developers Bob Millstone and Mark Disper, for an undisclosed amount. Under the new ownership, in 2015, Lion's Choice opened a restaurant in Ellisville, Missouri, its first in ten years.[9][10][11]

In May 2017, Lion's Choice named Mike Kupstas, a longtime veteran of the foodservice industry, as its new CEO. Prior to this appointment, Kupstas held senior executive and marketing positions at Panera Bread, Long John Silver's and Red Lobster.[12]

In September 2017, Lion's Choice launched its first food truck. The truck makes roast beef sandwiches, fries, and custard on board. In addition to other popular food-truck locations, the truck makes stops at Saint Louis University home soccer games and Scott Air Force Base.[13][14]

In July 2018, Lion's Choice broke ground on two new locations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, which are scheduled to open in November 2018. Furthermore, three more new locations in the Kansas City area are expected to open in 2019.[15][16]

Products

Sandwiches
Original roast beef sandwich, cooked well done

Lion's Choice is known for selling roast beef sandwiches.[7] The company describes the meat as "roasted beef" because of the amount of time the meat is prepared.[8] The roast beef sandwich comes in three sizes: Original, Large and King (double the beef of Original). In addition to roast beef sandwiches, the menu includes hickory-smoked ham sandwiches, smokehouse pulled pork sandwiches, roasted turkey breast sandwiches, Italian beef sandwiches, and French dip. Lion's Choice also serves hot dogs.[17]

Sides

As sides, Lion's Choice offers french fries, coleslaw, baked potatoes, and veggie sticks (carrots, celery sticks, broccoli florets, and grape tomatoes). The french fries are skin-on, gluten free, and without any added salt, and the baked potato can be loaded with any combination of the following: butter, chives, cheddar, bacon bits, broccoli, or chili.[17]

Soups and salads

Lion's Choice offers a variety of soups and salads. Its salads include a side salad; "LC Seasonal", which has carrots, walnuts, dried cranberries, tomatoes and blue cheese topped with bistro dressing; "Butcher Block Cobb", which has roast beef, turkey and ham, paired with blue cheese, shredded cheddar, greens, tomatoes, and carrots topped with bistro dressing. In addition to seasonal/daily featured soups, Lion's Choice's soups include chicken noodle soup, cream of broccoli soup, and hearty chili (with roast beef).[17]

Desserts

Lion's Choice serves frozen custard cones, which come in mini and regular sizes and can optionally be dipped in chocolate. The restaurant also serves milkshakes, cookies (chocolate chip, macadamia nut, or sugar), sundaes, root beer floats, and concretes.[17]

Awards

It was the Missouri state winner for the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award in 2006.[18] The restaurant chain was named Best Fast Food by the Riverfront Times in 2008.[19] In 2014, the Riverfront Times named it the Best Chain Restaurant,[20] and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named it their Best Local Restaurant Chain.[21]

References
  1. Brown, Lisa (September 8, 2016). "Former Panera exec Fine joins Lion's Choice as COO". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  2. "Red Lion Beef Corporation: Private Company Information". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  3. "New Lion's Choice in O'Fallon will be the first in the country to serve breakfast". Belleville News-Democrat. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  4. "This new restaurant will replace Tim Hortons in O'Fallon". bnd. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  5. Early, Rosalind. "The Road Less Traveled". WUSTL Magazine. Washington University in St. Louis. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  6. Baehr, Cheryl. "Happy 50th Birthday, Lion's Choice — the Pride of St. Louis". Riverfront Times. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  7. "History". www.lionschoice.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  8. "10 Beefy Facts About Lion's Choice". October 2, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  9. Brown, Lisa. "Lion's Choice founder sells chain to investors with plans to expand". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  10. "New owners, a food truck and expansion: How Lion's Choice got its roar back". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  11. "St. Louis-based Private Equity Groups Announce Purchase of Lion's Choice Restaurant Chain | Millstone Capital Advisors". www.millstoneca.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  12. Staff reports. "Lion's Choice hires new CEO as it celebrates 50 years". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  13. "Lion's Choice hits the road with new food truck". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  14. Brown, Lisa. "Roast beef chain Lion's Choice adds food truck for mobile sales". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  15. Feldt, Brian. "Lion's Choice expands with plans for Kansas City area restaurants". stltoday.com. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  16. "St. Louis cult favorite coming to KC with slow-roasted beef & 25-cent mini cones". kansascity. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  17. "Food". www.lionschoice.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  18. "Lion's Choice Restaurant Corporation Selected as Missouri State Winner for the National Restaurant Association's 2006 Restaurant Neighbor Award". Lion's Choice. 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  19. "Best Fast Food". Riverfront Times. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  20. "Best Chain Restaurant". Riverfront Times. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  21. "Best local restaurant chain". stltoday.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
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