Talkin Texas

Archive for the ‘Friends’ Category

“One of the most flavorful steaks we’ve ever tasted.”

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012

Dear Texas,

My husband and I love your restaurant. We eat at your Danville location about two or three times a month because the food is delicious, the staff is friendly and we never leave hungry.

This past Tuesday we both got home from work late, and I was too tired to cook. My husband said he was craving steak, so we decided to treat ourselves to a night out at Texas Steakhouse.

LR A.1. Chipotle Lime Ribeye

When the server came to take our order, she suggested we try the A.1. Chipotle Ribeye. She told us that A.1. had created a marinade just for Texas Steakhouse, and since my husband I are big fans of chipotle cooking, we both decided to give it a try.

To make a long story short, we loved it, and both of us agreed that it was one of the most flavorful steaks we’ve ever tasted. The chipotle marinade added a lot of flavor, but it wasn’t too spicy.

Anyway, I just wanted to send a note to say thanks for another great meal!

Sincerely,

Molly B.

Danville, VA

Texas Steakhouse Honors Our Heroes on Veteran’s Day

Friday, November 9th, 2012

Wounded_Warrior_Project_25

Dear friends,

On behalf of all of us here at Texas Steakhouse, I want to invite you and your family to join us as we honor our soldiers for Veteran’s Day.

On Monday, November 12, we’ll be serving free meals to active-duty and retired service members with a valid military ID, and we’ll be giving 10% discounts to family members who join them. We will also be asking guests to add a dollar to their checks for the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization that provides support to wounded veterans and their families.

The Wounded Warrior Project is a cause that’s very close to our hearts. We’ve enjoyed a long partnership with the organization, and thanks to the generosity of guests like you, we’ve raised over $51,000 for their mission. What’s amazing is that nearly all of that money has been raised one dollar at a time from individual sales of our Grandma’s Shortcake Dessert.

Texas Steakhouse honors the sacrifices made by our veterans and their families. From our annual Letters to the Troops campaign and daily military discounts to the Wall of Heroes displays that stand in each of our restaurants, we want to recognize their service and make sure they know how much we appreciate them. So please join us on Veteran’s Day as we celebrate and pay tribute to our American heroes.

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

George Crane, Chief Operating Officer

Texas Steakhouse & Saloon

Win $500 of Free Gas from Texas Steakhouse!

Friday, April 27th, 2012

At Texas Steakhouse, we’re serious about making the guest experience great. Our online guest feedback survey plays a vital role in helping us find ways to better serve you, and now we’re giving you a chance to win a $500 Gas Card by taking just three minutes to share your feedback with us.

The next time you enjoy a meal at Texas Steakhouse, visit SteakhouseSurvey.com and enter the survey code printed at the bottom of your receipt. You’ll be asked three short questions about your visit, and then you’ll be automatically entered into our random monthly drawing to win a $500 Gas Card*. If your name is chosen, we’ll also give your server a Gas Card worth $250.

Unlike comment cards or other feedback methods, our online survey, powered by Qore Analytics, allows us to review and reply to every guest right then and there, so if there’s a service issue we can address it and correct it immediately.

Each of our stores receives their own guest satisfaction score based on your feedback, and raising the “Qore Score” has become a point of friendly competition among our team members. Most importantly, Qore gives us a very detailed picture of how we can improve our guest experience – and the more responses we get, the clearer it is.

So the next time you enjoy a meal at Texas Steakhouse, please take a few minutes to tell us how we’re doing. You’ll be entered to win a $500 Gas Card while helping us serve you even better.

We look forward to hearing from you. Good luck!

Sincerely,

George Crane, Chief Operations Officer

Texas Steakhouse

*No purchase necessary. See complete rules and details at www.SteakhouseSurvey.com.

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“It’s the next best thing to a steak dinner.”

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Dear Texas,

I’m a general contractor, and my crew stops by Texas Steakhouse for lunch about once or twice a week. They like to give me a hard time because I always order the same thing. The Ribeye Sandwich. In fact, I get it so often, the server doesn’t even have to take my order anymore. She just smiles and asks if I’m getting “the usual.”

Texas Steakhouse & Saloon Ribeye Sandwich

One time, one of the guys asked me why I always order the Ribeye Sandwich. I told him it’s because it’s the next best thing to a steak dinner. The sandwich itself is huge, and with a side of Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes, there’s plenty enough food to tide me over until suppertime.

At any rate, on behalf of our whole crew, I’d like to say thanks for everything you do. We love stopping by Texas Steakhouse for lunch because you all always treat us right. We really appreciate it.

Thanks again,

Big Dave

New Bern, NC

A Christmas Message from Terry

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Dear Friends,

It’s hard to believe Christmas is here again, but it seems to come sooner every year. Still, as we enjoy this special season and wind down another year, we’re given a great opportunity to look back on the past while looking forward to the year ahead. With that, I’m happy to say that Texas Steakhouse had a great 2011, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Throughout 2011, the Texas team spent a lot of time looking for ways create value and enhance your overall guest experience. We introduced several delicious new dishes like the Texas Chili Burger, Chicken Tender Salad and Texas Chuck Roast. We also launched the Texas Steakhouse mobile app and Digital Spurs program, which allows guests to enjoy all of the perks of Gold Spurs’ membership right from their smartphone.

Texas Steakhouse Christmas

2011 also proved a great year for Texas Steakhouse’s efforts to support America’s men and women in uniform, as we surpassed $35,000 in total donations for the Wounded Warrior Project. And our first-ever Letters to the Troops campaign exceeded our expectations, collecting more than 2,850 cards, emails and messages of support for our heroes at home and abroad.

There’s so much more I could mention, but I’ll just close by saying that, thanks to you, 2011 has been one of the best yet for Texas Steakhouse. On behalf of our entire Texas family, I want to offer my heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year. We look forward to serving you in 2012!

Sincerely,

Terry Smith. President

Texas Steakhouse

Roanoke Rapids Gives Back

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Our Roanoke Rapids, NC store has partnered with Hannah’s Place, a local non-profit organization, to brighten the holidays for families who have been through extreme hardships. Hannah’s Place provides several forms of assistance to men, women, and children in Roanoke Rapids who have been affected by domestic violence and/or sexual abuse. They assist families facing financial hardships, provide local shelter and run a thrift store that assists families of domestic violence with necessities (clothes, toys, bedding, etc.).

Roanoke Rapids Texas Steakhouse Gives Back

To assist Hannah’s Place, our Roanoke Rapids’ Texas Steakhouse is selling $1.00 Holiday donation cards. The money raised will then be used to purchase toys for the children of Hannah’s Place. On Saturday, December 17th, the families will visit Texas Steakhouse to unwrap their toys and enjoy some delicious baked goods.

Our goal is to raise $1,000 to support this wonderful organization. We also hope that the fundraiser will raise awareness of domestic violence and spotlight organizations like Hannah’s Place. So if you live in our around our Roanoke Rapids location, please stop in before December 17th and donate one dollar to support this important cause.

Roanoke Rapids Texas Steakhouse Gives Back

Read more about the collection in this story from RRSPIN, Roanoke Rapids news.

With your help, we sent the troops a Texas-sized “Thank You”

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

We just finished sorting and shipping your letters to the troops, and we must say that we have been completely blown away by your support for the military. From a 5-year-old asking his daddy to “come home soon” to a retired naval officer encouraging service men and women to be strong during the holidays, it has been a pleasure to collect your well-wishes.

With your help we collected nearly 2,500 letters to ship to the troops through the A Million Thanks program. It has been incredible for everyone here at Texas Steakhouse &Saloon to get to work on this project. Thank you so much.

Here are a few images from along the way and a few of our favorites letters:

TexasSteakhouseLettersToTroops

Dear Soldier,
This week I am training for my black belt and my mind is whirling around what I have to do on the physical part of my test. But it doesn’t compare to the physical things you all do on a daily basis. I realized that this morning when I sat down to rest, you guys don’t get that chance. I admire every one of you and pray for you where ever you all end up. It’s an amazing thing you have given me and my family, the ability to train and do what every extra curricular activity we so chose. Thank you for all you have done and will do in the future.
God Bless,
Christina Rogers Phillips

Thank you so much for the sacrifices you are making to ensure that America remains a free and protected country. I thank God for my freedom and know that it is not to be taken for granted. You and your families are so generous in giving to serve the greatest country of all. We have our problems and things sometimes are too focused on the negatives, but I try to step back daily and realize that my freedom is being ensured and watched over by America’s finest.
Thank you for the job you do. May god bless and protect you and your families.
Karen Jordan

LettersInBoxes

LetterCollection

The Wounded Warrior Project: Honoring & Empowering Our Heroes

Friday, September 30th, 2011

In 2009, Texas Steakhouse began donating one dollar of every Grandma’s Shortcake purchase to the Wounded Warrior Project — an organization committed to honoring and empowering servicemen and women who’ve suffered battle-related injuries since September 11, 2001.

With your help, we’ve now raised more than $33,000.

Jonathan Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Development for WWP, recently sent a letter commending our efforts. We would like to share it with all of you:

WWP_TSSLetter

We would like to thank Jonathan and the entire staff at WWP for the kind letter. We would also like to thank our guests who continue to make these donations possible. Most of all, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the brave men and women of America’s Armed Forces. It is because of their courage and sacrifice that we enjoy the freedom, liberty and security we have today.

To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project and all of the ways they help America’s injured veterans, please visit WoundedWarriorProject.org. Thanks again and remember, next time you’re in Texas, save room for Grandma’s Shortcake.

You Had Me at the Queso

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Dear Texas,

I’m a big lover of Texas cuisine, so when I found out my husband and I would be moving from San Antonio to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, I immediately wondered, “What kind of food will they have there?”

We’d been settling in for a few days when a neighbor dropped by to welcome us. As we were chatting, I told her the thing I would miss most about Texas was the food. Then she told me about Texas Steakhouse.

My husband and I were skeptical about finding authentic Texas flavor in the middle of North Carolina, but that night we decided to give Texas Steakhouse a try.

TXsteak_ConQueso_LR

When we told our server that we we’d just moved from San Antonio, she smiled and recommended the mesquite-grilled steaks then emphatically added, “Try the queso!” We took her advice, ordering the queso and two ribeyes.

She brought out the white queso and freshly fried chips, and it was love at first taste. Warm and creamy with the perfect level of Tex-Mex kick, not only was it on par with the best San Antonio had to offer, it was (dare I say) even better.

My husband and I were more than impressed with the atmosphere, service and most importantly, the authentic flavors of Texas Steakhouse. It’s like having our own little corner of San Antonio right here in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Thanks Texas!

Susan C.

The Excitement of a Texas TV Shoot

Monday, April 12th, 2010

The Marketing Team gathered for our quarterly meeting and the decision was made to create some television spots featuring our mesquite-grilled 9oz ribeyes, 7oz sirloins and burgers. This is quite an event and many professionals come together to make all the beautiful footage we use in our commercials.

We work with a Robert LaTorre and his team at Big Fish Films. He is an amazingly talented and brilliant artist and director. Our first conversation begins with a budget and creative direction. Shot ideas and techniques are discussed, and soon after CurrentMarketing creates a storyboard of the vision for everyone to understand and agree to.
Next, our agency goes into coordination mode. Recipes are gathered, quantities of food items are determined. For example we may need 100 perfectly shaped brioche buns for our burger shot.

All American Burger

Talk about details! Everything is hand-picked and scrutinized. The food stylist makes all the difference. We spend the money to get the best because the food has to look great. And what you see is what you get. We don’t cheat on our portions. Everything is to spec. We use our product and processes. And I am on location to approve all presentations.

The shoot requires one day of pre-production and decisions on plated “stand-ins” for color and composition. Shot order is established, shot angles are walked through and reviewed via monitor. Hand movements are practiced and every second is planned out. We pack a ton in one day because shooting video is very expensive and as a 29-store restaurant chain we are frugal with our marketing dollars.

The day of the shoot is really a lot of fun. We have great “craft services” (code for unbelievable treats to snack on throughout the day). And a giant HD TV monitor so we can see every “take” very close up. Some of us get to participate in the shoot by flipping a burger or squeezing a lime. I am known in some parts as the “King of the Rib Tear,” a move I managed to perfect a few years ago.

The actual shooting, scheduled for early next month, will take three full days. I always look forward to working with everyone there, from the lighting techs or “gaffers” to the “steamer” (guy who creates the steam coming from a hot dish). It is an action-filled day with many decisions. It requires patience, creativity and experience. And we always come away with fabulous footage that we’re proud to use to represent Texas Steakhouse & Saloon.

Terry Smith
President
Texas Steakhouse & Saloon


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