Painful Childhood Helps One Woman Reach Out to Others
Liz Reyes
The full story can be found on Fox 8.
The sizzling steak in butter is unique to the Ruth's Chris Steak house restaurants which first opened in New Orleans. What many don't know is that Lana Duke owns the marketing firm that helped expand the restaurants worldwide.
Her masterful advertisements focused on an ad campaign that made the sizzling steak the star. "I thought if every steak could come out sizzling, I knew it would reach the senses of people. To this day it's so much fun to watch when that steak is coming from across the room and you kind of wonder, ooh, I wonder if that one is mine," said Duke.
Lana Duke says teaming up with Ruth Fertel, the late owner of the famous steak house, changed her life personally and professionally. 35 years later, she still owns her marketing firm, plus four Ruth's Chris Steak House restaurants and the local Palace Truck Stop Casino.
The divorcee's son is also now working alongside her learning about his mother's companies. "She's always had that drive in her and she's always wanted to be the best at whatever she is doing," said her son David. Where she is now, though, is a long way from her childhood of hard knocks.
Lana grew up in Canada's foster care system moving from home to home, unwanted by her parents. "I can remember every night crying on my pillow, wanting my mother and wondering where she was, why she was gone," said Duke.