Quaker Steak & Lube
Quaker Steak & Lube is a privately held motor-themed casual dining chain founded in 1974, specializing in chicken wings with 25+ proprietary sauces across approximately 26 U.S. locations, serving families, groups, and catering customers primarily in the Midwest and Eastern states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersSharon, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Quaker Steak & Lube does
Quaker Steak & Lube is a privately held, motor-themed casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1974 in Sharon, Pennsylvania by George "Jig" Warren III and Gary "Moe" Meszaros. The chain built its identity around chicken wings — serving over 30 million annually — paired with a proprietary portfolio of more than 25 wing sauces ranging from Garlic Parmesan (90 SHU) to Atomic Scorpion (800,000+ SHU), alongside steaks, burgers, and other American fare. Restaurants feature antique muscle cars, vintage vehicles, and motorcycles as part of the core dining atmosphere, and the chain has accumulated hundreds of local, national, and international awards for its sauce recipes, including a "Best Wings USA" title.
The company generates revenue across four primary streams: dine-in restaurant sales, online takeout ordering through its own e-commerce storefront, catering services (both pickup and EZ-Cater delivery), and retail merchandise/bottled sauce sales via an Authentic Merch–powered online store. The chain operates approximately 26 locations across eight U.S. states (predominantly Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with extensions into South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Iowa, and Florida until the planned 2026 Florida exit), including non-traditional venues such as Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and Slippery Rock University. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer, supported by the Revved-Up Rewards loyalty program on the MyGuestAccount platform and recurring enthusiast events (Bike Nights, Car Cruise-Ins, Jeep Meet-Ups).
The company underwent a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in November 2015 and sold 50 locations to TravelCenters of America for $25 million in 2016 as part of restructuring. Operational headquarters sit in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The chain continues to operate but is in a contraction phase, with footprint reductions including the upcoming closure of its last Florida location and no evidence of new market expansion, institutional ownership, or external funding activity in the source data.
Quaker Steak & Lube firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quaker Steak & Lube
- Legal name
- Quaker Steak & Lube
- Website
- https://thelube.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Quaker Steak & Lube is a privately held motor-themed casual dining chain founded in 1974, specializing in chicken wings with 25+ proprietary sauces across approximately 26 U.S. locations, serving families, groups, and catering customers primarily in the Midwest and Eastern states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quaker Steak & Lube industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chicken Concepts (Fried/Grilled/Hot Chicken) (THAFABAI)
Keywords
Where Quaker Steak & Lube is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sharon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices27 records
Markets served
Quaker Steak & Lube business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from customer dining in at restaurant locations, including food, beverages, and alcoholic drinks.
- Takeout and Online Ordering: Revenue from online ordering for takeout, with dedicated online ordering location picker on website.
- Catering Services: Party Fuel Catering services for events, including pickup catering and delivery through EZ-Cater partnership.
- Retail Sauce Sales: Bottled sauces sold for retail purchase through the company's merchandise website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | $10 Lube Lunch promotional deal |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Quaker Steak & Lube product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quaker Steak & Lube operates a motor-themed casual dining restaurant chain that serves chicken wings, steaks, burgers and American fare with more than 25 proprietary sauce varieties, alongside dine-in service, online takeout ordering, off-premise catering, branded retail sauces, and a customer loyalty program. Restaurants display antique muscle cars, vintage vehicles and motorcycles throughout the dining space, and host community events such as Bike Nights and the Atomic Scorpion Challenge.
Product overview
Quaker Steak & Lube is a motor-themed restaurant chain founded in 1974 in Sharon, Pennsylvania. The company's core offering centers on chicken wings served with an extensive variety of award-winning sauces (ranging from 90 to 800,000+ SHU heat levels), complemented by a full menu of steaks, burgers, and other American fare. The restaurant chain operates across approximately 26 locations in 8 U.S. states, offering dine-in, online ordering, and catering services. Key products and services include signature wings and sauces, the Revved-Up Rewards loyalty program, Party Fuel catering services, bottled sauces and merchandise through the Lube Gifts online store, and themed events like the Atomic Scorpion Challenge. The unique selling proposition is the motor-themed décor featuring classic cars and motorcycles displayed throughout venues.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chicken Wings Quaker Steak & Lube's signature menu item: chicken wings served with a choice of more than 25 proprietary sauces ranging from mild (e.g., Garlic Parmesan at 90 SHU) to the Atomic Scorpion at 800,000+ SHU. Targeted at dine-in, takeout and catering customers.
- Wing Sauces (including bottled retail sauces) Proprietary wing sauce line including Garlic Parmesan (90 SHU), Original BBQ, Kentucky Bourbon Glaze (110 SHU), Mild (740 SHU), Medium (1,440 SHU), Hot (3,000 SHU), Buckeye BBQ (5,000 SHU), Super Charged (30,000 SHU) and Atomic Scorpion (800,000++ SHU). Sauces are available in restaurants and for retail purchase in bottles through the Lube Gifts online store.
- Party Fuel Catering Full-service catering offering for corporate events, private parties and group functions, with pickup catering directly from Quaker Steak & Lube and delivery catering handled through the EZ-Cater platform.
- Lube Gifts (Online Merchandise and Sauce Store) E-commerce storefront operated via the Authentic Merch platform that sells Quaker Steak & Lube branded merchandise and bottled signature sauces directly to consumers for at-home use or gifting.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves over 30 million wings annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Quaker Steak & Lube
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Quaker Steak & Lube technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Quaker Steak & Lube partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- TravelCenters of AmericamajorQuaker Steak & Lube sold 50 restaurant locations to TravelCenters of America for $25 million in 2016 as part of bankruptcy restructuring. This was a major asset sale following the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in November 2015.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Quaker Steak & Lube competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Buffalo Wild Wings: Buffalo Wild Wings is the largest U.S. sports-bar wing chain (owned by Inspire Brands), with a national footprint of ~1,000+ locations, extensive sauce variety, and full bar service. It is the most direct competitor to QSL's wing-and-sauce value proposition and casual sports-bar atmosphere.
- Wingstop: Wingstop is a fast-growing wings-focused chain with 2,500+ locations primarily takeout/delivery, with a strong proprietary sauce lineup. It competes directly with QSL on the wings category and is winning share with younger consumers through digital ordering and a streamlined menu.
- Hooters: Hooters is a themed casual dining chain with a strong bar/sports-watching atmosphere and wings on the menu. It overlaps QSL's casual-dining + sports-viewing + wing-sauce positioning, and competes in similar Mid-Atlantic and Midwest markets.
- Twin Peaks Restaurant: Twin Peaks is a "lodge-themed" casual dining chain with extensive TVs, full bar, and American comfort food including wings. Its experiential, sports-bar positioning closely mirrors QSL's motor-themed sports-watching atmosphere.
Broad incumbents
- Hard Rock Cafe: Hard Rock Cafe is a globally recognized themed-dining chain built around a memorabilia collection (notably guitars and music artifacts) in a similar way QSL builds atmosphere around muscle cars and motorcycles. Both brands monetize a distinctive visual identity as their core differentiator.
- Dave & Buster's: Dave & Buster's combines casual American dining with entertainment (arcade games, sports viewing) at 100+ U.S. locations. It is comparable to QSL as a destination casual-dining concept where the experiential atmosphere drives traffic beyond food alone.
- Applebee's: Applebee's is one of the largest U.S. casual dining chains (1,500+ locations under Dine Brands) with American comfort food, full bar service, and similar lunch-deal promotions ($10 Lube Lunch). It competes with QSL in the same casual-dining, family-friendly price segment.
- Chili's Grill & Bar: Chili's operates 1,000+ casual dining locations emphasizing ribs, burgers, and wings, with a recent wing-focused marketing push. It is a comparable casual-dining competitor with wings on the menu and bar-driven sales mix.
- TGI Fridays: TGI Fridays is a long-established American casual dining chain with full bar service, sports viewing, and themed décor. It competes with QSL in the casual-dining experiential segment, particularly for group/family dining occasions.
Regional players
- Tony Roma's: Tony Roma's is a themed casual dining chain specializing in ribs and American fare, historically strongest in the U.S. and international markets. It shares QSL's legacy themed-casual-dining positioning and full-bar dining model, though it skews toward ribs over wings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Quaker Steak & Lube social profiles
Digital presenceQuaker Steak & Lube financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quaker Steak & Lube leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Quaker Steak & Lube funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quaker Steak & Lube M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Quaker Steak & Lube
What does Quaker Steak & Lube do?
Quaker Steak & Lube operates a motor-themed casual dining restaurant chain that serves chicken wings, steaks, burgers and American fare with more than 25 proprietary sauce varieties, alongside dine-in service, online takeout ordering, off-premise catering, branded retail sauces, and a customer loyalty program. Restaurants display antique muscle cars, vintage vehicles and motorcycles throughout the dining space, and host community events such as Bike Nights and the Atomic Scorpion Challenge.
Is Quaker Steak & Lube a public or private company?
Quaker Steak & Lube is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Quaker Steak & Lube founded?
Quaker Steak & Lube was founded in 1974. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Quaker Steak & Lube based?
Quaker Steak & Lube is headquartered in Sharon, United States, in the North America region.
How does Quaker Steak & Lube make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are takeout and Online Ordering, catering Services and retail Sauce Sales.
Who are Quaker Steak & Lube's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop, Hooters and Twin Peaks Restaurant. Broad incumbents are Hard Rock Cafe, Dave & Buster's, Applebee's, Chili's Grill & Bar and TGI Fridays. Tony Roma's is listed as a regional player.
Does Quaker Steak & Lube have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quaker Steak & Lube.
What industry is Quaker Steak & Lube in?
Quaker Steak & Lube's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAI, Chicken Concepts (Fried/Grilled/Hot Chicken). Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.