Cindy Arch, owner of the Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse near Pierre, received the annual Restaurant of the Year award from the South Dakota Retailers Association.
Presented yesterday (Jan. 10, 2022) in conjunction with the organization’s 125th annual meeting in Pierre, the award recognizes a restaurant that has earned a reputation for excellence with its food, service and atmosphere.
The late Myril Arch developed a loyal fan base when he opened the restaurant on his ranch east of Pierre in 1986. Using his personal recipes for prime rib and sirloin, he emphasized the key was to properly feed, age, cut and prepare the beef.
Myril’s daughter Cindy Arch carried on the tradition when she took over the restaurant in 1994. She has expanded the restaurant to accommodate regular overflow crowds, but has maintained the standards and atmosphere her dad created– including sawdust on the floor.
“Doesn’t matter if you’re in a suit or you just got out of the field or you just got off a horse or you just came from the ball,” Arch recalls. “He wanted everyone to feel comfortable and that’s why we have the sawdust on the floor. He always said it was an equalizer.”
In 2014, the family opened a second Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse in Mitchell, and Arch is now making plans for her sons Austin and Dalton to take over the business.
The staff includes several who have been with the business for over two decades. Arch says they’re like gold to the restaurant, which draws regular local customers as well as repeat business from across the country. And while the menu is limited, it draws rave reviews.
“We’re not fancy chefs. We serve a good steak for a good price and that’s what we’re all about,” Arch said. “It’s very rewarding to hear people say, ‘Man, that was the best steak I ever had.’”
South Dakota Retailers Association Board President Eric Sinclair presents the Restaurant of the Year award to Cindy Arch of Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse in Pierre (Jan. 10, 2022). Pictured from left to right: Kimberly Blair, Dalton Blair, Eric Sinclair, Cindy Arch, Duane Winkler.
Photo credit SD Retailers Association.
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