Ruth Fertel Ruth’s Chris Steak House Creator Chapter 1 Empress of Steak It’s Saturday night and a special occasion Your family is celebrating your parents anniversary at a steak house As you’re seated in a sleek leather booth you hear a sizzle start soft and grow louder A server carries a giant slab of meat past your table Butter is bubbling on the steak’s surface This is Ruth’s Chris Steak House’s signature touch The scent hits you next Your mouth waters for your own steak Ruth Fertel is the founder of Ruth’s Chris Steak House It is a national chain known for quality sizzling steaks Fertel opened her first steak house in 1965 Today there are more than 150 steak houses bearing her name around the world Fertel was a self-taught restaurant owner cook and businesswoman She became such an expert on quality beef that she was often called the Empress of Steak Fertel took big risks and saw big success Her desire to succeed began at a young age in a small Louisiana schoolhouse 4
Ruth Fertel in the early 1950s 5
Ruth Fertel Ruth’s Chris Steak House Creator Chapter 2 Early Achievements Ruth Ann Udstad was born on February 5 1927 in New Orleans Louisiana Ruth’s family lived in the nearby town of Happy Jack Ruth’s father was an insurance salesman Her mother was a teacher Several of Ruth’s family members were great cooks They also liked to hunt and fish Ruth loved to hunt and fish too She was also very competitive especially with her brother Sig Sig was three years older than Ruth but Ruth tried to beat him at anything she could This included at school Ruth and Sig attended nearby Port Sulphur’s Rigaud Elementary School It was a one-room schoolhouse All grades were taught in one room Ruth advanced in her studies by listening to what the teachers were teaching the older students She learned enough this way that she was moved ahead two grades 6 Food Bite Ruth loved to ride horses and read She was also very good at solving puzzles
Ruth left and Sig with their father Arthur Simpson Udstad Finishing grade school early meant Ruth finished high school early too She graduated in 1942 at the age of 15 She went on to college at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge She graduated with degrees in physics and chemistry in 1946 7
