Seventy years, thousands of steaks and generations of customers have helped make the Charcoal Steak House a Waterloo Region landmark. The Kitchener restaurant opened in 1956, when founders Del and Ortha Wideman purchased a small 30-seat restaurant called the Charcoal Pit. While the menu and restaurant have evolved over the decades, some things have remained the same. “Some of our recipes date back, like our Caesar dressing, from the inception of Charcoal,” said Alex Dunbar, the restaurant’s executive chef. Dunbar said his own family has been coming to the restaurant since he was a child. The restaurant changed its name to the Charcoal Steak House a few years after opening and moved to its current, larger location in 1976. “I think the numbers are around 300 plus just for upstairs. And then we do have a capacity of over 200 downstairs as well,” said Charcoal Steak House general manager David Ambrose. Its history includes more than just steaks. The restaurant has gone through a number of changes over the years. “I remember seeing the library lounge photos from Martini’s, and seeing the people gathered around the piano and all that back in the days of the humidor,” said Ambrose. What began as a single Kitchener restaurant has also grown into the Charcoal Group, which now operates a portfolio of restaurants across Southern Ontario. To celebrate its 70th anniversary, the restaurant is bringing back a taste of its past with limited-time pricing. “We have a buy one get one feature where if you buy a filet, you’ll also be getting one for $5,” said Mary Adams, marketing director for Charcoal Legacy Group. “That’s our specialty pricing from 1956.” The anniversary celebrations will culminate with a gala Saturday in support of the Waterloo Region Health Network. Bill Siegfried, vice-president of operations for Charcoal Legacy Group, said the company’s longevity comes down to providing customers with more than just food. “Anybody can cook a steak at home, anybody can cook a pizza at home, anybody can open a beer at home, anybody can pour a glass of wine at home,” Siegfried said. “So we have to go above that.” He said customers return not only for the food, but for the overall experience. After seven decades in business, the Charcoal Steak House is still serving customers, including some from the fourth and fifth generations of the same families. What started with a goal of serving a good steak has turned into something rare: 70 years in the restaurant business.
