Feature Story: Steve's Rib

Steve’s Rib

As you drive through the streets of Edmond, Oklahoma, many mouth-watering smells overwhelm your nostrils.

Continue to drive until you finally reach the one-of-a-kind Steve’s Rib. Through the car window the aroma of ribs, brisket and baked beans fills the air. A smell so enticing you will enter the parking lot and begin walking towards the front door. As the doors swing open, hosts will welcome you with smiles as they lead you to the nearest open booth. Upon taking your seat, the sound of multiple sporting events ring from the plasma televisions posted onto the walls, as well as a low chattering from the surrounding customers.

Open the two-page menu, which allows for a number of choices and pick the items that sound most appetizing. Whether you order pulled pork, turkey or ribs with steak fries, your food will be served to you very promptly. Once you receive your food, drizzle some of the homemade barbeque sauce atop it and chow down. Steve’s Rib will provide a meal that will cause not only your taste buds to be satisfied, but also your wallet.

However, this story is about the creator Steve, a man who took yet a mere thought and transformed it into a thriving restaurant. As many know, behind every business is an idea from a dreamer. Behind every successful business is a history of hard work and determination. Steve’s Rib is the product of a dream turning into a reality.

In 1993, Steve became the proud owner of a kiosk in a Homeland grocery store. Attempting to put himself through architectural school, he began learning how to cook and create recipes. After receiving a few pointers from the previous owner of the kiosk, Steve’s Rib was well on its way. With assistance from his friend Mike, the two handled every aspect of the restaurant whether it was cooking, cleaning or serving. People began flowing into Homeland to wait in line for a taste of perhaps the best barbeque they would ever experience. Steve’s Rib soon became so popular that they knew they must upgrade to a bigger facility. Upon relocating to a new building within the same shopping center, business only increased. “It was very strange at first moving into the new building,” Mike said. “We went from doing absolutely everything ourselves to having employees. It changed from a rib stand to a restaurant. The growth was tremendous, and everything was completely different.”

However, the new restaurant was similar to a cafeteria style as it provided a line you progressed through picking out the food you desired as you moved along. Though it provided a larger space with tables to sit and enjoy your meal, it was still not the full service restaurant Steve had always desired.

Yet, Steve’s desire soon became a reality as business continued to grow so rapidly that a full service restaurant was the only option. With his architectural degree, Steve built the new building where the restaurant is still located today including a full bar, kitchen and seating. Through the increase of services, the income has also made a tremendous leap. “Since moving we’ve gone from a $500 a day business to a multi-million dollar business,” Mike proclaimed.

Steve’s Rib also supplies jobs to many college students, including Candace Gillette, who has worked at the restaurant for 5 years. Her job entails washing dishes, waiting tables, bartending and hosting on occasion. “It’s an easy job and pays very well,” Candace said. “It’s pretty low key and there isn’t a lot of structure. Because of the money and hours, I would definitely recommend working here.”

From the creator to the employees, Steve's Rib seeks to satisfy customers. A veteran of the restaurant, Katie Stuewe, has been a witness to Steve rising from the bottom to the top over the 17-year period. “I have very fond memories of going to the grocery store with my mom as a child," Stuewe said. "The best part about those trips was on our way out of Homeland, we would stop and get the chopped brisket and barbeque sauce from Steve himself. I always knew he was there, not because he was the first thing you saw as you entered the store, but because you could always smell his delicious barbeque before you even entered the store.”

From a kiosk in a Homeland grocery store to a full service restaurant, Steve’s Rib has flourished into a prosperous business, all of which started with a simple idea, hard work and determination.