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COVER STORY
inny Scott remembers her first date
with husband Bill. “Bill called me
on the phone and asked me out for
dinner and a movie. We went to Mr Mikes
and then saw To Kill a Mockingbird at the
old Orpheum on Granville,” she says
remembering the date way back in 1962
that led to a married life.
When the Scott’s dropped in for a
Mikeburger® back in ‘62 Mr Mikes had
already been open for a couple of years
and had become well-known as a great
place for Vancouverites to come by the
downtown restaurant for a steak dinner in
a relaxed setting. The Scotts first date at
the B.C.-based chain mirrors a wealth of
experiences from others who made the
restaurant the go-to place for dates and
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celebrations as well as a spot to just drop
in for a classic dinner entree in a self service atmosphere.
Mr Mikes is now celebrating its own
special event — its 50th anniversary. To
help with the milestone celebration the
annual menu update in May will include
some 50th Anniversary recognition for
the brand that harkens back to the simpler
times of the 1960s and Mr Mikes early
heritage. There are also plans for a Steak
Independence Day in Summer 2010 dedicated to the chain’s ‘Steak For All’ positioning. Steak Independence Day proposes a day- long community event in many
of the markets serviced by the chain.
“We’ll celebrate in all our communities.
It’s a way of giving back to those who
have been so supportive over these past
50 years,” says Yuri Fulmer, president and
CEO of Mr Mikes Restaurant Corporation, a company that operates 18 locations in both B.C. and Alberta. “In some
of our markets, there’s been a Mr Mikes
continuously since the mid-60s,”
he says, thinking back to when
he was considering
the purchase of the group of restaurants.
“I spoke to a number of friends and
family members and said, ‘You know, I’m
interested in this company called Mr
Mikes. Have you ever heard of it?’”
“It was funny,” he recalls, “but almost
everyone had an immediate emotional
reaction whether they remembered having
gone there as a child or went there on their
first date. I was shocked at how many people had a very strong Mr Mikes memory. It
really had a warm place in their hearts,
especially of British Columbians.”
Now these warm feelings and memories will be feted through the 50th
Anniversary celebrations dedicated to the
customers that have made the chain a
western favourite.
Making History
The company operates 18 locations in B.C. and Alberta.
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In Canada restaurant concepts come and
go. The fact that Mr Mikes has lasted the
test of 50 years is a major feat in itself in an
industry where just getting beyond the first
year of business is a considerable achievement. Consider some of the benchmarks.
For example, Mr Mikes has served in excess
of 35 million of one of its signature items,
the Mikeburger® — a beef patty served on a
fresh French loaf with garlic butter and
Mike’s special sauce — over a history that
has seen several owners take on the brand.
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WORDS: Kelly Gray
Yuri Fulmer,
President and CEO
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Mr Mikes celebrates its 50th anniversary
this year.
It all began in 1960 when brothers Nick
and Bob Constabaris opened the first Mr
times and a trend towards more casual
Mikes Family Steakhouse on Granville
lifestyles clicked with the Mr Mikes concept
Street in downtown Vancouver. At the
and contributed to its longevity.
time, its reasonably-priced steak dinners in
The success of the first Mr Mikes led to
a self-serve cafeteria-style restaurant was an
the opening of two franchised
innovative concept. The menu
outlets on Vancouver Island and
offered steak, a baked potato,
the chain continued to grow
salad, and garlic bread and the
rapidly over the next several
decor was equally no-frills.
decades. Despite downturns in
Restaurants offered around 60
the national economy, the
items that guests could pick
restaurants succeeded since
from along cafeteria lines.
customers were keen to
“Steak houses had always
embrace low-cost dining. By
been about white tablecloths
1970, there were 50 Mr Mikes
and being a little bit stuffy and
Warren Goss,
outlets
and they were serving
for most people, that means
Director of
250,000
customers a month.
feeling slightly out of place,”
Operations B.C.
Ten years later, the number of
explains Fulmer.
outlets totaled 69.
Mr Mikes appealed to people who wantBy 1985, only 45 Mr Mikes remained.
ed to go out for steak without having to
“The concept was over,” says Fulmer.
dress up or save up. Uncertain economic
“The whole idea of self-serve and salad
bars had had its day - and that day was
over by the end of the 80s.”
It was roughly a dozen years ago that the
chain received a breath of fresh air with a
major revitalization and rebranding. Its
well-known 1960s style was upgraded to
meet the times with a contemporary West
Coast look. The result saw reopenings in longstanding areas
like Terrace, Dawson Creek and
Quesnel where interiors were
transformed with the new contemporary theme. The new look
included natural wood and stone,
local native art work, and warm
earth tones. The menu also
reflected the West Coast connection with items like Prawns Tofino, named after B.C. coastal communities.
To fully reposition the brand at that time,
the restaurant shifted from self-serve cafeteria style to full-service casual dining with an
expanded bar component. The redo also
included a new logo and a new name —
Mr Mikes West Coast Grill. However, some
things stayed the same. For instance, Mr
Mikes maintained its reputation as an affordable steakhouse alternative where guests
could expect to find average cheque totals
running 35 to 50 per cent lower than other
steakhouses. The company reports that by
the ‘90s the new look and operation system
brought on board by then owners, The
Stonewater Group, saw Mr Mikes’ seven
outlets average annual sales of $1.7 million
or 400 per cent increase in same-store sales.
It was here that current President and
CEO Yuri Fulmer first noticed the brand.
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An Australian-born businessman with
foodservice holdings that included leading
franchise brands in B.C. and Alberta, Fulmer was presented with an opportunity to
pick up the chain from Stonewater. After
a period of due diligence his Fulmer
Development Corporation took on the
group in January of 2006, and moved forward with Mr Mikes Steakhouse & Bar, a
moniker that built on the strong interplay
between restaurant and bar.
The Next 50 Years
Today, Mr Mikes Steakhouse & Bar
restaurants are between 4000 to 6000
square feet in area with seating for 140 to
175 customers. The menu still offers the
classics like the Mikeburger® and traditional steakhouse meat and baked potato
favourites along with plenty of contemporary non-steak items — a little something
for everyone. There are seven outlets in
Alberta and 11 in B.C. Six are corporateowned and 12 are franchised. Interestingly, the Kamloops location is a hold over
from the early cafeteria-style concept and
is the only historic Mr Mikes location left.
“We work in collaboration with the franchisee. Almost everybody in our organiza-
Mr Mikes believes in “Steak For All”.
tion is in what we call a franchisee-facing
role. We work with them on helping in
their business and asking them to help
move the brand forward,” says Fulmer,
noting that the 18 stores in the portfolio are
a far cry from that single Granville Street
location that proved so popular back 50
years ago. Today’s Mr Mikes are full service
operations that feature an easy ambiance
characterized by ample use of wood, comfy
seating and a decided lack of attitude.
Locations offer signature brew like Antler
Ale and Big Horn Lager not to mention
famous centre-cut aged beef steaks. There
is also a branded wine program that is
designed to take out the attitude and deliver great tasting reds and whites — Big Bucks
Reserve and Little Doe.
Fulmer sees dramatic growth ahead for
his Mr Mikes restaurants. “We’ve opened a
lot of restaurants in the last few years and
we should open six to eight more next year.
We’re excited about that. We’re excited
about continuing to grow in Western Canada and we’ve been incredibly well-received
by the markets we are opening in.”
Asked what sets Mr Mikes apart from
other steakhouse-type restaurants, Fulmer
responds, “We’re a lot more casual. We’re a
lot more accessible to more customers and
we’re certainly more affordable for a family to eat at, and to eat at more regularly.
That’s the space that we occupy.”
Surviving for 50 years is a rare accomplishment in the restaurant industry.
“We’re now really authentically a steakhouse & bar concept. It really is a full
rebrand from the Mr Mikes that people
would have grown up with.”
Would Ginny and Bill still recognize the
Mr. Mikes that hosted them back in 1962?
To be sure, the decor has changed, the service has been ramped upward, and the
menu is more current, but the welcoming
atmosphere, the affordability as well as the
flame-broiled steaks and the signature burgers have all remained the same.
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Congratulations to
For all your Banking needs call:
M L (Michael) Heras 604.981.7808
Melanie Ma 604.981.5060
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CONGRATULATIONS
MR MIKES Steakhouse & Bar
Celebrating their
50th anniversary!
Wishing you great continued success!
from all of us at
Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd
www.cardinalmeats.com
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