Alexander’s stakes its reputation on service

At Alexander’s Steakhouse, you always get the steak you want cooked just the way you like it. Pretty easy when the whole idea is that you pick out your own slab of meat and cook it up yourself. Of course, if you’re not comfortable handling cooking utensils, then you can let one of their pros take over for you.

For 25 years, the folks at Alexander’s Steakhouse on Bruns Lane at Jefferson Street have been serving up great meals with a successful formula that’s as simple and straightforward as a meat-and-potatoes menu. But there’s another ingredient, too, according to company president Steve Shaw.

“I think because we have great consistency in the steaks and the salad bar service,” Shaw said of the restaurant’s longevity. “We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t consistent.”

Shaw cited the meat, the people who work for him and longtime manager Todd Rauthenberg, in addition to the relaxed ambience as equal contributors to the success of the business. And, with Springfield growing in a westerly direction, Shaw said that’s proof that they are doing something right.

“We have to do a good job to make it worth the extra trip to get here because we kind of sit here by ourself,” he said, referring to the restaurant’s location at the top of Bruns Lane.

Alexander’s actually offers much more than just steak and potatoes on the menu. There’s chicken and fish and pork chops and a variety of great desserts, too. But back to the meat for just a minute: “We choose USDA aged choice Midwestern beef, and we cut it here in Springfield every day,” Shaw said.

The first Alexander’s Steakhouse is still going strong in Peoria. The founder was a Californian with local roots named Laurel Rainwater. The Springfield operation has undergone a couple of transformations in its 29 years in the same building. It opened as Vonachen’s Landing, a seafood place, and then it became V.O.P. Peabody’s. In 1984, it settled in as Alexander’s.

The parent company is Peoria-based Mercedes Restaurants Inc., an independent restaurant company that has been around since 1974. There are four Alexander’s Steakhouses around central Illinois.

Rauthenberg, Shaw said, is hands on, very personable, and he greets everyone with a smile. “He’s a good, hard-working guy who knows everyone in town.” Not being part of a nationwide franchise makes service and quality all the more important for Rauthenberg and crew, Shaw said.

“As an independent, you have to step up and give it to your customers in food and service and positive attitude,” Shaw said of going up against much larger competitors.

“We don’t have the marketing dollars,” he said. “We try to make everybody happy coming and going, and if we do, they’ll tell their friends. And that’s how we stay in business.”

Alexander’s Steakhouse

620 Bruns Lane

Springfield, IL 62704

793-0440

www.mercedesrestaurants.com/alexanders.html

Alexander’s employs 40 at its Springfield location.

John Moody can be reached at 747-1289.