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| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Casual dining |
| Founded | Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States (1974; 51 years ago (1974)) |
| Founder | George "Jig" Warren III, Gary "Moe" Meszaros |
| Headquarters | Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania[1] |
Number of locations | 29 (2023) |
Area served | 9 States |
Key people | Gregg Lippert (CEO) |
| Products | |
| Parent | TravelCenters of America (2015–2021) JDK Management (2021–present) |
| Website | thelube |
Quaker Steak & Lube is acasual dining restaurant chain based inBloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1974, inSharon, Pennsylvania. The original restaurant was built by George "Jig" Warren III and Gary "Mo" Meszaros in an abandoned gas station in downtown Sharon, and decorated with license plates and old automobiles.
In the aftermath of the1973 oil crisis, amidst a wave of gas stations permanently closing, Jig Warren and Mo Meszaros wanted to preserve the culture of old gas stations and high-poweredmuscle cars. This idea eventually became a single Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant in Sharon, PA and eventually a chain of casual dining restaurants. The original Quaker Steak & Lube location, opened in 1974, includes a 1936Chevrolet on the originalhydraulic grease rack.[2]
On November 16, 2015, immediately after filing forChapter 11 bankruptcy, the company was acquired byTravelCenters of America, who planned to expand the chain, both in its number oftruck stops and its number of standalone restaurant locations.[3] JDK Management purchased Quaker Steak & Lube from TravelCenters for $5 million in early 2021.[1][4][5][6]
The restaurant has received over 70 awards in various national and regional competitions as of 2023.[7]
The Pointe at North Fayette location inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was featured in theTravel Channel seriesMan v. Food.[8] The episode's challenge was to consume six "Atomic" chicken wings, the hottest wings on Quaker Steak's menu at the time.[8] HostAdam Richman completed the challenge in the allotted time and was awarded a commemorativebumper sticker and a place on the restaurant's "Atomic Wall of Flame".[9]
