Quaker Steak & Lube, 941 Spears Creek Court: 31 January 2017 8 comments
Although I had thought about going to Quaker Steak & Lube serveral times, somehow I never got around to it. If I *had* gone, I would have taken the frontage road east at I-20 & Clemson Road. As I found out yesterday, that doesn't work -- that frontage road does not go all the way through from Clemson Road to Spears Creek Church Road, and in fact you have to take the Spears Creek Church Road exit.
Once finding the place, I discovered it was a wings joint, so I probably would not have gone out there often anyway as I dislike the smell of chicken. That aside, it's a nice looking building, and apparently they had bands play the small stage in the parking lot, presumably in the warmer months. There are stairs leading from the Quaker Steak lot down to the Harley Davidson Thunder Tower, so I expect they probably got a good bike crowd for those shows.
Interestingly, if you google for Quaker Steak & Lube in Columbia, this address is not the first thing that comes up. Instead, you are referred to 2150 South Beltline Blvd, which if you look at google maps, was a vacant lot the last time they took aerial pictures. I haven't been down there, but apparently the ground has been cleared for at travel plaza, and the new Quaker Steak will open there in March 2017.
Which ties in with something else I read online
Sunday, May 1, 2016 10:28 PM EDT
WESTLAKE, Ohio -The deal has been closed to sell the Sharon, Pennsylvania based Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant chain to a national truck stop chain based in Westlake, Ohio.Travel Centers of America announced last week that it has completed the acquisition of Quaker Steak for approximately $25 million.
The transaction followed a chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the parent company of Quaker Steak & Lube in November, which revealed that the wing restaurant chain had liabilities between $1 million and $10 million owed to hundreds of creditors.
So apprently Quaker Steak is becoming the house brand restaurant for TA Travel Centers.
(Hat tip to commenter Kc)
UPDATE 22 March 2017 -- The new travel plaza location on Beltline:
8 Responses to 'Quaker Steak & Lube, 941 Spears Creek Court: 31 January 2017'
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Homer
7 Feb 17 at 12:29 am
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@Ted - close out your italics tag.....
Homer
7 Feb 17 at 12:31 am
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And why I said Tom instead of Ted, I have no idea. It's been one hell of a Monday......
Homer
7 Feb 17 at 12:32 am
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D'oh!
ted
7 Feb 17 at 12:48 am
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Drove past the new location off Bluff Road. The new truck stop (Petro brand, which TravelCenters of America also owns) is nearing completion. The exterior parts of the building are done. The signage for both the new restaurant and a Starbucks are in place. There was a temporary sign up about a job fair, so presumably they will be open soon. This is across the street from the relatively new Love's Truck Stop.
Bobby
7 Feb 17 at 2:05 pm
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Here's what I gather to be happening:
- Quaker Steak & Lube has been through at least 1-2 bankruptcies (a web search leads me to think that they've flirted with bankruptcy at least that many times)
- Their company sold out to the travel company mentioned in the main post
- Bluff Road & I-77 is becoming a home for several new truck stops
- One of them is the brand that has acquired Quaker Steak & Lube
- It appears to me as if Quaker Steak & Lube is moving away from freestanding restaurants in favor of the truck stop format that is under construction on Bluff Road/S Beltline/I-77It was off my radar so I never went but I do know that is this is at Spears Creek Church Road & I-20 and I know Spears Creek Church Road is being proposed for widening which tells me that the customer base in the vicinity is growing and so it wouldn't surprise me to see another restaurant brand set up shop (the first thing I thought of as I was composing this is Fatz Cafe)...
Andrew
8 Feb 17 at 11:10 pm
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New location opens March 15.
Bobby
1 Mar 17 at 4:32 pm
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The new travel center location is open.
ted
16 Mar 17 at 12:27 am
Well, Tom's comments on bankruptcy lends credence to the post made by myself and Sidney earlier. I ate there several times for lunch and always thought the food was good. Burgers were tasty as well as the fish and chips and Philly cheesesteaks. Judging from the number of people that were there for lunch I figured they must have been doing a pretty good business.