Today we’d like to introduce you to Cariann Zeitman.
Cariann, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
“It was all a Dream…..” Blake’s Steaks originally started as a completely different style food truck in Houston in 2012. In 2016, my husband and I ate our weights in cheesesteaks in Philadelphia and wandered into many restaurant kitchens on a six week road trip adventure. Once we got back, we knew we wanted to change our truck to feature cheesesteaks. We also wanted to expand into a restaurant but needed to move outside of Houston with the budget we had available. Then, Blake’s Steaks was born! Between my husband’s “never met a stranger” attitude and my love of food R&D, we rebranded the food truck and opened our first restaurant in College Station. The restaurant’s vibe is 90’s hip hop, and the food’s vibe is just straight up stuff-your-face delicious. The love for our food has grown so much that we will even have four concession stands featuring our menu in Kyle Field at Texas A&M University. As a female-owned business, Blake’s Steaks is proud of how far we’ve come and the plans we have for the future.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not! The food truck/ restaurant world can eat you alive (pun intended), but we’ve always found ways to overcome the obstacles so far. Working and living with your spouse will test any relationship, but I think it makes ours stronger. The food truck alone seems like it has had everything break at some point or another, and always when you are already on a tight schedule. We’ve been in accidents with the truck and even had it catch on fire. The restaurant came with a whole new set of struggles since we had to maintain more equipment and manage more staff. The food and beverage world is the most frustrating/rewarding/entertaining world.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Blake’s Steaks – what should we know?
Blake’s Steaks is a restaurant and food truck that specializes in cheesesteaks, loaded sandwiches, and loaded fries. We’re known for our dazzling personalities and amazing food! As a company, we are extremely proud of our commitment to provide consistently fresh food that brings people together. We research our recipes thoroughly and innovate along the way, but I’m pretty sure we do this for our own happy bellies as much as we do it for the public.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Creativity.
Creative recipes, creative spins on traditional recipes, creative marketing, creative partnerships, creative branding, creative concept, and creative people.
Pricing:
- Everything on the menu is under $14
Contact Info:
- Address: 700 University Drive E
Suite C College Station, Texas, 77840 - Phone: 979-676-7885
- Email: blake@blakessteaks.com
- Instagram: @blakessteaks
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/blakessteaks
- Twitter: @blakessteaks
- Yelp: Blake’s Steaks Sandwich Shop
Image Credit:
Jay Robinson
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