History of Black Angus Restaurant
In 1952, Christy Hariton and Chris Patsalides bought land on Little Creek Road in Norfolk. Their aim was to build the restaurant of their dreams. First on the list was to serve the best steaks possible. This meant buying the best steaks possible. They purchased all meat through Armour, and all purchases were top choice and prime USDA Beef. The restaurant's design included a large, covered drive-up entrance, a large lobby area with room for comfortable chairs, and seating for at least 300. They wanted to have a large kitchen, open to the lobby area, where customers could view all aspects of food preparation. Equally important was creating the ambiance of simple elegance with soft lighting, white linen, and soft music. Of course, excellent service was paramount. A large walk-in aging room for whole sides of beef was a necessity, as well as equipment and space for Christy Hariton to cut and trim all the steaks. In 1954, their mission was complete. Before opening, Chris and Christy had trouble deciding on a name for their restaurant. To solve their problem, they advertised in the Virginian Pilot and Ledger Star. They developed a contest to name the new restaurant. The winner of the contest would receive $500 and dinner for two with all the trimmings. Black Angus won hands down. They then registered the name in the State of Virginia.