Steak 48 Restaurant in Philadelphia Slammed for $100 Minimum

Steak 48 restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is being slammed online for making customers pay a $100 minimum to dine at the establishment.

A similar controversy occurred at the Steak 48 restaurant in Chicago, but the current firestorm involves the restaurant in Philly, which is located at Broad and Spruce Streets.

The dress code, which is business casual, is also getting some attention, according to CBS Philadelphia. Some people on line are claiming the policy is racist and designed to target Blacks.

Here’s what you need to know:

A Tweet From a Podcast Launched the Debate

The Twitter page for Philly’s “The Realest Podcast Ever” first raised the issue with the above tweet, writing, “They said no brokies 😭😭😭😭 #Steak48 no more appetizer dates and step photos.”

They included a photo of the policy sign, which says, “$100 per person food and beverage minimum. There is a $100 per person food and beverage minimum for each person at your table in order to ensure that each guest enjoys the total experience of food, service, and atmosphere. This does not include tax or tip. Welcome, you are going to have a great night!”

Steak 48 released a statement, according to CBS Philadelphia, that read 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…”

People Slammed Steak 48 Restaurant on Twitter

On Facebook, the restaurant is ignoring the controversy. The restaurant’s top Facebook post, from April, reads, “Bigger AND better…our Colossal Shrimp Cocktail is just what you need on your table tonight.”

A woman joked in the comment thread, “Is that $100.00?”

People slammed Steak 48 on Twitter. Here’s a sample of the comments:

“@steak48 I will stick with our steakhouses here in Las Vegas and not be inclined to spend $100 minimum per person. Ridiculous #Steak48 CYA.”

Some people raised race as an implication of the policy on Twitter, but that caused Ernest Owens, an editor at Philly Magazine, to opine on Twitter, “To hear it from many of you, Black people can’t afford sh** in Philly. The stereotype many of you all are projecting is that we are broke and fancy restaurants like Steak 48 are sooo exclusive that they don’t want our patronage…For starters, y’all calm down — we are literally beating a dead horse about a steakhouse that is charging a minimum during a pandemic that’s killing restaurants across the city.”

He noted, “I cover serious sh** every week and yet petty stuff like this gets more traffic & buzz. We just had a crazy DA race and more people give a damn about a steak they claim they don’t care about — but have given more energy over it in the last 24 hours than everything else we did.”

However, some people defended the $100 minimum controversy. “You go Steak 48. First, I find it BIZARRE how much criticism there is. Have you seen how people look when they go out? This is the way DINNER out SHOULD be! We had CONTIS in Dtown, remember?” a woman wrote.

“And, $100 and people are complaining? What gives ANYONE the right to complain? Just don’t go! Now you all have a wonderful place to go, all dressed up, and ask her/him to marry you! A Prom date! Or, graduation! THIS looks AMAZING! Keep being STEAK 48!”

Wrote another woman, “I don’t understand how ppl was going in steak 48 and spending less than $100…like you order 2 things and you spending $200 at least.” Another added, “Steak 48 Is an experience that’s what you’re paying for, the food Is good but so Is the ambiance they’re setting a tone. You don’t like It don’t go.”

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