CHINK’S STEAKS REBRANDS TO JOES STEAKS + SODA SHOP
Philly’s favorite Cheesesteak – Same owner. Different name. 64-year-old recipe.
Chink’s Steaks, arguably Philadelphia’s favorite cheesesteak joint, is shedding the disparaging name that owner Joe Groh inherited when he purchased the business back in 1999. The restaurant officially rebrands to Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop, unveiling their new sign, today! Joe started working seven days a week at Chink’s in 1979, hand slicing rib-eye and onions, as well as general cleaning duties, etc. He worked his way up to server then onto the grill. He eventually took over as grill master when the original owner, and the restaurant’s namesake Sam “Chink” Sherman, fell ill before passing away in 1997. Why did Joe not change the name then?
“Chink’s was a local institution named after the original owner’s childhood nickname. We did not associate it with the racial slur,” says owner, Joe Groh. In fact, the regulars had such strong sentiment to the original name that many threatened to never return if this change occurred. “Chink was a neighborhood celebrity and at the time I wanted to accommodate our customers by keeping everything the same. Even the name.”
Enter 2013 and Joe is still doing his best to accommodate his ever-growing customer base. “It is very important to me, my family and the entire staff that we no longer inadvertently alienate anyone in the Philly community. We are very excited to move forward under the new name, Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop.”
“The new brand is not only culturally sensitive but embodies many vintage facets that convey the longevity and distinction of Joe’s business, which has been handcrafting sodas, milkshakes and egg creams since it opened in 1949,” says David Neff, President of Neff Associates, who spearheaded the rebranding initiative.
This rebrand is also about Joe creating his own cheesesteak legacy – for himself and his son Patrick who, in 2008, started working full-time for the restaurant in exactly the same way his father did – hand slicing rib-eye and onions.
Chink’s has been consistently revered as one of Philadelphia’s top cheesesteaks by the likes of Craig LaBan (in 2002), Philadelphia Magazine and more recently on Anthony Bourdain’s much-anticipated Philadelphia episode of The Layover. Chink’s is also the only cheesesteak restaurant ranked in the top ten YELP reviews in Philadelphia, sandwiched right between Morimoto and Amada.
Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop is open for business 10:30 am through 8:00pm, Monday through Saturday, and is closed on Sunday. In addition to their cheesesteak menu Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop also proudly serves burgers, hot dogs, hot sausage sandwiches, specialty and traditional milkshakes, sundaes, floats, egg creams, house-made soda’s and home-made cupcakes. The restaurant seats approximately 30 guests and boasts table service, unlike many other Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurants.
Kylie Flett
Neff Associates
O: 215-627-4747 x108
kf@neffassociates.com
Located at 6030 Torresdale Avenue, Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop, previously established as Chink’s Steaks in 1949, is owned and operated by Joe Groh who took over the business in 1999 after the passing of original owner Sam “Chink” Sherman. Joe’s Steaks + Soda Shop is renowned as one of Philadelphia’s best cheesesteaks – the marquee to a menu featuring favorites reminiscent of the era in which it was opened. Cheesesteaks and additional menu items are served tableside and to-go 10:30 am through 8:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. For more information please visit www.joessteaks.com
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