The newest option for steak in Yorkton has finally opened, marking the culmination of years of hard work and planning. Mr. Mikes Steakhouse Casual is now open for business, near the Parkland Mall.
The Mr. Mikes franchise has been around since 1960, explains Barry Hilderman, restaurant general manager, begun by a pair of brothers in Vancouver. The franchise has gone through cycles of growth and decline, but it's currently on the upswing under new management, and the Yorkton restaurant is the 22nd location to open.
Anticipation has been building for the new restaurant over the past couple years, and Hilderman says that since Saskatchewan is a province that loves its beef, a steakhouse is a natural fit for a city like Yorkton.
"This franchise, they specialize in steaks... In Saskatchewan, we like our steaks, we like our burgers, we like this type of food and it just works."
While this is the first week that the restaurant is open for business, Hilderman notes that the team has been working on training for much longer, to ensure that service goes smoothly from the moment the doors open. He says that there has been three days of dry-runs, practicing on friends and family of the staff and owners with a full kitchen. He says that training is critical to having a restaurant open smoothly, and he says that the Mr. Mikes training team has been invaluable to making that service possible.
"If we didn't have that, we would be hard pressed to provide the service and quality that this brand is," he says.
One thing that has been easy about opening the restaurant has been finding that staff, and Hilderman says it's because it's the kind of place people want to work.
"We are a family restaurant. Family restaurants are very easy to staff because people want to work in a family restaurant, and the anticipation of us opening up put our name on everyone's mind."
The anticipation has been immense, he notes, with over 2,000 fans on Facebook and the comments from customers throughout town. Hilderman says that Yorkton's restaurant industry overall is in a good place, and he hopes Mr. Mikes can be a major part of the city's growing hospitality industry.
"I think the eating establishments in this city are all very busy, because this city likes to eat out. Yorkton is a growing city and the clientele that are coming to establishments like ours are looking for more than just a meal, they're looking for an experience, they're looking for a place to be, and they're looking for something different from the obvious choice. Right now they're just looking for more."
The first week of operation has been going smooth so far, Hilderman says, and he notes that even the training staff has been impressed by the way the staff has come together.
"I am quite proud of them all."
