Today let's explore the life of Ruth Fertel, who died at 75 in 2002. (2007). Registered in England & Wales No. ". Restaurant Business, 88(7), 154-156. In honor of founder Ruth Fertel, Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc., the parent company of Ruth's Chris Steak House, announced today that it has donated the site of The hospitality industry: an attractive employer? She paid for the education of numerous children, provided counseling for women starting businesses, and contributed to local schools. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. Selling the sizzle. Ruth�s Chris will continue to focus on their core concept, but is �examining the possibility of a second brand in the future.� Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 References Allen, R.L. In an effort that allowed her to build new relationships with customers and help the local community, Ruth supplied victims and relief workers of the hurricane with free steak meals. Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc. engages in the development and operation of fine dining restaurants. The company was founded by Ruth Fertel in 1965 and is headquartered in Winter Park, FL. Entrepreneur, 25(9), 104. She was very bright and graduated … Fortune Small Business, 13(8), 120. hi� h�M� Uj� hA4 h�M� Uj h�5� h�M� Uh�� h�M� 6�h�Ci h�M� 6�h�8. Retrieved December 3, 2007 from HYPERLINK "http://www.nytimes.com" www.nytimes.com Fertel Foundation (2007). Ruth Fertel: The First Lady of American Restaurants. In 1965 Ruth Fertel a Louisiana native, tried a few careers before venturing into the restaurant industry. In 1948 Ruth married Rodney Fertel, with whom she had two children � Jerome and Randy. Ruth Fertel. PF: Ruth used to say a meat salesman will know there’s 16 ounces in a pound when he can roll over in his grave. +? Fertel Warns Smokers. She cooked everything and provided free steak meals to disaster workers and victims in the local area. Journal of Hospitality … Restaurant Segments Restaurant Segment Services Offered Average Per-Person Dinner Check ... contribution … Nation�s Restaurant News, 26(38), 81-85. }. Ruth Fertel: In Her Prime. In 1965, when Hurricane Betsy hit New Orleans, she was left without power, and realized that the food in her restaurant was in danger of spoiling. Although the menu has evolved to include seafood, the restaurant has still managed to retain a majority sales of meat (42%) with appetizers/non-seafood sides/dessert (17.9%) and their award-winning wine list (17.3%) in a close second. Search. Ruth Fertel: The Person Ruth Ann Udstad, the daughter of an insurance salesman and a kindergarten teacher, was born on February 5, 1927 in New Orleans. It�s in the individual to succeed or not. Ruth�s Chris does, however, like to maintain a certain amount of uniqueness in the look and design of its restaurants. Fortune, 138(1), 34. Restaurants and Institutions, 107(16), 56- 61. �PM�ݮ% White, L. (2007). She found a restaurant for sale … She was very bright and graduated from high school at age 15 and began attending Louisiana State University, graduating at age 19 with degrees in chemistry and physics. Fertel was also a large supporter of Junior Acheivement and started the Fertel Foundation which ��seeks to foster projects related to the arts and education [and] is especially interested in initiatives from which new communities and new insights may emerge, and those that challenge entrenched communities of power.� Even after she was diagnosed with lung cancer, after having smoked for over 50 years, Ruth Fertel still showed how much she cared about the people of New Orleans by educating them about the dangers of smoking. Would Ruth Have Left New Orleans? # � A � � �B �j� ۯ���y��� �:J2� F� D 0T�>� �m+Jln!h0'��ۯ���y��� �:J2�C � I l� /X_ .9 �x���|T�?~.��00RmR;��,+��B%&�H�L�8p� ��_��%F��H�bg�jX (2006). Retrieved December 4, 2007 from HYPERLINK "http://www.fertel.com/causes/foundation/index.htm" http://www.fertel.com/causes/foundation/index.htm Frumkin, P. (1990). Nation�s Restaurant News, 36(17), 91. About Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. Ruth's Chris Steak House was founded by Ruth Fertel over 50 years ago in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attributes some of her success to the fact that her clientele could see her working, she got to know them personally, and she and the staff always �spoiled them.� Ruth is revered as the The First Lady of American Restaurants and no doubt has been asked countless times what is has been like being a woman in a male-dominated industry. As a female pioneer in a male-dominated industry, our founder, Ruth Fertel, recognized the value of each and every employee's contribution to her success, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion or … Even though the Chris Steak House failed six times under the previous owner, Chris Matulich, before Ruth taking over, �It never entered [her] mind that [she] would fail.� She ensured her success by learning about the entire business from being a hostess to a server, cooking, bookkeeping, and even butchering. (1992). By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read. While the company offered employees in New Orleans $1000 and the option of working in a different location as long as they would be willing to relocate, this was not enough to keep people from questioning whether Ruth Fertel would have made the same decision to move out of New Orleans. � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ... one of the first national fine dining chains which was founded by Ruth Fertel in the late 1970. View Essay - 20-1 Ruth Fertel paper.doc from PHYSICS 6990 at Harvard University. Ruth… Ruth was left with the responsibility of caring for her two teenage sons, so she took up a low-paying position as a lab technician at Tulane Medical School. (Figure 2) The Ruth�s Chris company is able to maintain high levels of service and quality closely monitoring its franchised and own restaurants. By remaining focused on an excellent product and maintaining a high level of quality in customer service, food, and atmosphere, Ruth Fertel has ensured the success of her chain of upscale steakhouses. I am now the proud owner of nine locations. I don�t mind taking a chance.� And succeed she has. Now there are 110 locations worldwide including locations in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with discussion underway to open in Europe, Australia, and Dubai. Most importantly, though, is that everyone that is employed by Ruth�s Chris Steakhouse should operate under the Golden Rule � �Treat customers and associates the way [you] would want to be treated.� Ruth has battled with all the typical (as well as atypical) restaurant ailments: a demand for healthier fare, an increase in the price of beef, fires, and hurricanes, yet has been able to persevere through all of the above. She soon realized that she would not be able to afford putting her two sons through college without getting a higher-paying job. ��ࡱ� > �� { } ���� j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� �a �� "6 jbjbA]A] "T +? Fertel would answer assertively, �It�s not whether you�re a man or a woman. The move came sooner than expected when in 1976 the original location of Chris Steak House burned down, causing her to not only to change locations, but also to change the name of the restaurant. 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