Trump Steaks
Trump Steaks was a brand of steak and other meats that was owned by Donald Trump. The brand was launched in 2007 and was exclusively sold through The Sharper Image[1] and QVC.[2][3] Trump Steaks failed to sell well through The Sharper Image, which discontinued sales of the product line after two months.[4]
![]() Donald Trump in a promotional image for the steaks | |
Product type | Steaks, burgers, sausage |
---|---|
Owner | Donald Trump |
Country | United States |
Introduced | May 8, 2007 |
Discontinued | July 2007 (The Sharper Image) |
Registered as a trademark in | August 2006 |
Tagline | "The World's Greatest Steaks" |
Website | Official website (archive) |
History
Donald Trump registered "Trump Steaks" as a U.S. trademark in August 2006.[5] Trump Steaks were launched on May 8, 2007,[6] exclusively through The Sharper Image's catalog, stores, and website as part of a three-month trial period.[7] Later that month, Trump and some contestants from his reality television series The Apprentice attended an event at a Rockefeller Plaza Sharper Image store to promote the steaks.[8]
The meat was supplied by Buckhead Beef,[9] an Atlanta-based company[10] and subsidiary of Sysco.[9] Buckhead Beef also supplied meat to many of Trump's hotel-casino properties.[7] Burgers and sausages were also sold under the Trump Steaks name.[11] The steaks were USDA Angus certified[9] and came in four packages with prices ranging from $199 (with two bone-in rib-eyes, two filet mignons and 12 burgers),[12] $349, $499, and $999,[13] with the tagline of "The World's Greatest Steaks."[7][6] A Trump Steak Gift Card was also sold at a cost of $1,037.[11] Trump Steaks was featured in a May 2007 Saturday Night Live episode that mocked the brand.[9][14]
Trump was featured on the June 2007 issue of the Sharper Image magazine to promote Trump Steaks.[15] On June 5, 2007, Trump Steaks debuted on the QVC home shopping television channel, with Trump making an appearance on the network.[11] Trump Steaks (16) 6oz Certified Angus Beef Steakburgers were sold by QVC.[16]
Trump Steaks were sold at The Sharper Image for two months before being discontinued.[17][18] According to Sharper Image CEO Jerry W. Levin, "The net of all that was we literally sold almost no steaks, if we sold $50,000 of steaks grand total, I'd be surprised."[19] Advertisements featuring Trump's photo attracted customers to buy other products at the store.[17] Trump Steaks were discontinued at QVC around the same time as the Sharper Image discontinuation.[9] The Trump Steaks trademark was canceled in December 2014 according to a trademark search through the United States Patent and Trademark Office.[5]
2007 reception
The New York Post conducted a blind taste test and compared[6] Trump Steaks with mail-order porterhouses from Peter Luger Steak House and three New York City establishments. Trump Steaks earned a rating of 7.5 out of 10 (with the high cost of Trump Steaks noted),[6] losing to $35/lb ($77/kg) mail-order porterhouses from Peter Luger with a rating of 9.5, but a higher rating than the Greenwich Village butcher and the Ottomanelli Brothers.[20][21] Tad's Steaks,[lower-alpha 1] a cheap steak cafeteria,[38] received "This cow should be ashamed".[6] The Associated Press and The Oklahoman wrote positive reviews of the steaks, but also noted the high price.[13][39] The Palm Beach Post panelists best rated the Angus-certified and prime-graded bone-in rib-eye against choice-graded bone-in rib-eyes and prime-graded Publix,[12] giving the steaks an "A" and writing "Trump isn't kidding. Our panelists could barely believe how flavorful and tender the 16-ounce [450 g] bone-in rib-eye was." However, the high price of the steaks was also noted (the others were $9–$16/lb or $20–$35/kg).[12] Gourmet magazine opined, "these steaks are wholly mediocre".[40]
2016 U.S. presidential election
In August 2015, TIME magazine included Trump Steaks on a list of Trump business failures.[15] In December 2015, during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, a Super PAC supporting John Kasich produced an ad mocking Trump Steaks.[41] On February 10, 2016, the New York Daily News[42] included Trump Steaks on a list of Trump business failures. Steaks from West Palm Beach's Bush Brothers[43] Provision Co.[44] were on display at Trump's Florida news conference celebrating his latest primary victories on March 8, 2016 during which Trump claimed them to be "Trump Steaks".[3] Trump-branded wine and water were also displayed, as an example of Trump's success in business.[45] Observers there noted the Trump-named steaks were produced by a butcher in West Palm Beach.[2] In March 2016, Vox noted that on QVC's website "reviews of Trump steaks were, um, mixed",[2] with more than half of the reviews negative (1 star to 2 stars).[46] In an interview with Anderson Cooper the following day, Trump said that he does not process the steaks but instead purchases them from local suppliers.[45] As of April 2016 the only place the steaks can still be purchased is at Trump's various properties.[17]
Notes
References
- Holodny, Elena (10 October 2014). "12 Donald Trump businesses that no longer exist". Yahoo Finance. Archived from the original on 2016-01-27. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- Nelson, Libby (9 March 2016). "Donald Trump spent election night pitching Trump products that you can't buy anymore". Vox. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
- "Trump raises the steaks after broiling his rivals". politico.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-07. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- "The Trump Touch". nypost.com. 14 June 2007. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Siemaszko, Corky (10 March 2016). "The Trademark on Trump Steaks Was Canceled Two Years Ago, Records Show". MSNBC. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- Erikson, Chris (May 13, 2007). "High Steaks". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2017-12-19. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- Goldiner, Dave (May 4, 2007). "USDA prime ego!". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- Wharton, Rachel (May 18, 2007). "Steaks high for Trump". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- Carman, Tim (23 March 2016). "Trump Steaks are so rare, we can't even find one". Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 12 May 2018 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- "Contact Us – Buckhead Beef Atlanta". buckheadbeef.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-13. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- O'Harran, Kristi (June 7, 2007). "$96 steak, Trump's newest plan to stay very rich". The Herald. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- Passy, Charles (May 28, 2007). "Trump Steaks: How does Donald Trump's latest cash cow compare?". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- Dowell, Sharon (11 July 2007). "Dinner with The Donald: 'World's Greatest' Trump Steaks definitely high in quality and high in price". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- "Trump Steaks – Saturday Night Live Season 32 Episode 19 Excerpt". Yahoo!. 12 May 2007. Archived from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- Koffler, Jacob (7 August 2015). "Donald Trump's 16 Biggest Business Failures and Successes". Time. Archived from the original on 2015-09-01. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- "Trump Steaks (16) 6oz Certified Angus Beef Steakburgers – M15809 — QVC.com". 20 December 2015. Archived from the original on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - TIME Editors (2016-04-29). Donald Trump: The Rise of a Rule Breaker. Time Inc. Books. ISBN 978-1-68330-237-7. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
- "Trump Steaks @ Sharper Image". 12 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - "A Definitive History Of Trump Steaks™". thinkprogress.org. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Cardwell, Diane (20 December 2000). "Onofrio Ottomanelli, 83, Dies; Ran a Venerated Meat Market". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- "Ottoman(elli) Empire". Edible Manhattan. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Eriksmoen, Curt (September 17, 2005). "'Grandfather of fast food' had roots in North Dakota". Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "Don and his half brother". Daily Review. NewspaperArchive. July 19, 1961. p. 26. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Pollak, Michael (13 June 2004). "F.Y.I.: Medium Rare". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "T-bone Steaks Served For $1.19, At a Profit". The Daily News of Newburyport. Newburyport, MA. UPI. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Batey, Eve (20 February 2020). "Union Square Landmark Tad's Steakhouse Rises Again". Eater. Vox Media. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Fickenscher, Lisa (10 October 2019). "Tad's Steaks finally closing its last NYC outpost". New York Post. NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Martin, Douglas (2 April 2000). "Donald Townsend, Who Founded Tad's Home of the Low-Priced T-Bone, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "Tad's Steaks Runs Times Square with a Fist of Broiled Fury". Columbia Daily Spectator. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- "Tad's Steakhouse was founded in the 120 Powell Street San Francisco building you see here, in 1955". The Retrologist. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "Restaurant in San Francisco, CA". Tad's Steak House. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Pollack, Neal (26 November 1998). "Odd Man Out". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- "Tad's Steak House". Chicago Tribune. newspapers.com. 23 August 1959. p. 218. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- "Card: Tad's Steaks New York Philadelphia Chicago San Francisco". eBay.
- "Milt Rosenberg: 1925 – 2018". Milt Rosenberg. January 19, 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- Portnoy, Howard (9 April 2019). "REVIEW: A Tad's Steaks for the 21st Century with Standing Room Only". Apple Eats. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- "The last Tad's Steaks is in the Theater District". Ephemeral New York. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- "Farewell to Tad's, Manhattan's Last Meat Honkytonk". eater.com. 2014-07-09. Archived from the original on 2018-05-13. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- Hirsch, J.M. (May 16, 2007). "Trump beefs up his empire by selling high-end steaks". Deseret News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- "2 Guys: Trumped: Food + Cooking : gourmet.com". 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Gass, Nick (11 December 2015). "Kasich super PAC ad mocks Trump's steak business". Politico. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- Silverstein, Jason (February 10, 2016). "A brief history of Donald Trump's many, many business failures". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2017-10-08. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- "Those 'Trump steaks' weren't actually Trump's steaks". nypost.com. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- "When Trump Steaks at a Trump Event Aren't Really 'Trump Steaks'". Bloomberg.com. 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-05-13. Retrieved 12 May 2018 – via www.bloomberg.com.
- Campbell, Colin (10 March 2016). "Anderson Cooper grills Donald Trump about the 'Trump Steaks' piled up at Trump's press conference". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- "The reviews of Trump Steaks are hilariously bad". 18 December 2015. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
External links
- Official website
- TRUMP STEAKS on YouTube - Commercial for The Sharper Image featuring Donald Trump
- Trump Steaks – Google Trends