Omaha Steaks
An American food company best known for direct-to-consumer steaks, meat gifts, seafood, prepared foods, and gourmet desserts.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Omaha Steaks is an American food company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, whose brand is closely associated with mail-order steaks, premium meat assortments, and food gifts. The business began in 1917 when the Simon family established a meat-cutting operation in downtown Omaha under the name Table Supply Meat Co. The family had earlier roots in meat processing in Riga and became part of Omaha's growing meat industry after immigrating to the United States. The company initially supplied beef to supermarkets, grocery chains, hotels, restaurants, and institutional customers. During the 1940s, it developed a notable transportation-related food-service relationship by supplying selected meat for Union Pacific Railroad dining cars serving long-distance routes from Omaha to the West Coast. This helped broaden the company's reputation beyond its local market. Omaha Steaks entered mail order in 1952, shipping frozen products in dry ice and specially prepared cartons. Improvements during the 1960s—including insulated foam containers, vacuum packaging, and parcel delivery—made it possible to sell meat directly to households over longer distances. The company began mailing catalogs in 1963 and expanded its assortment beyond beef to include poultry, pork, seafood, side dishes, appetizers, and desserts. In 1966, it adopted the Omaha Steaks name and moved into a new production facility. The brand combines premium-food positioning with convenience and gifting. Its products are sold through direct mail, telephone sales, online commerce, retail stores, food-service channels, licensed restaurants, specialty stores, and corporate or incentive programs. This omnichannel model developed from the company's early use of catalogs and telephone ordering and later incorporated fax ordering, online advertising, e-commerce, and digital customer acquisition. Omaha Steaks placed an early online advertisement on CompuServe in 1991, established a substantial presence on America Online by the mid-1990s, and later joined the Microsoft Network. Retail expansion began with the company's first store in Omaha in 1976. A Houston store opened in 1985, and the company reported operating 48 stores in 20 states by 2021. Its direct-to-consumer business remains central: products are shipped using dry ice and insulated containers, and holiday peaks require large numbers of temporary employees and logistics capacity. The company has reported facilities including manufacturing plants, distribution centers, and frozen storage. Brand communication emphasizes steak expertise, American heritage, gifting, entertaining, and delivery innovation. The company uses the tagline "America's Original Butcher" and has maintained a long advertising relationship with The New Yorker, first placing a mail-order steak advertisement there in 1958. Its public culinary activities include cookbooks, chef collaborations, product development, and tailgating-related marketing. Chef James Beard served as a spokesperson in the 1970s, cookbook author Merle Ellis represented the brand in the 1980s, and chef David Rose was announced as executive chef and spokesperson in 2020. Omaha Steaks is privately held and remains associated with the Simon family. Todd Simon serves as chairman and chief steak evangelist, while Nate Rempe serves as president and chief executive officer. Beyond its commercial activities, the company and related family interests support arts organizations, health charities, educational initiatives, hunger-relief groups, and disaster-response organizations. The brand's public history also includes a 2016 settlement of a class-action lawsuit alleging unwanted robocalls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
History
The company's family history reaches back to 1850, when Lazar Shames operated a packing house and meat market in Riga, then part of the Russian Empire and now Latvia. In 1898, his son J.J. and family immigrated to the United States after fleeing religious persecution. They eventually settled in Omaha, a city whose economy was increasingly shaped by meat packing and related industries. J.J. and his son B.A. worked as butchers before establishing their own meat-cutting business in 1917. The first operation occupied a downtown Omaha site and was named Table Supply Meat Co., adopting the name of the carpentry business that had previously occupied the premises. In 1924, the company moved to the Old Market area and expanded from local butchering into wholesale distribution. It supplied beef cuts to supermarkets, national grocery chains, hotel restaurants, and institutional buyers. B.A. Simon's son Lester joined in 1929 and helped develop the company's distribution network. During the 1940s, Lester negotiated an arrangement with Union Pacific Railroad under which Omaha Steaks products were served in dining cars on transcontinental trains. The company selected meat for routes connecting Omaha with Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. This relationship exposed travelers to the brand and demonstrated the company's ability to manage food-service supply beyond its home city. A major transformation began in 1952, when Omaha Steaks started shipping orders directly to consumers. Early orders were packed in dry ice and shipped by train in cardboard cartons lined with wax paper. During the early 1960s, insulated foam coolers, vacuum packaging, and direct parcel delivery improved product protection and made national home delivery more practical. Catalogs were introduced in 1963. Their product range gradually expanded from steaks to poultry, pork, seafood, prepared side dishes, appetizers, and desserts. In 1966, the business adopted the Omaha Steaks name and moved to a new plant. The company opened its first retail store in Omaha in 1976. Until that point, consumers generally encountered its products through restaurants or mail-order purchasing. A Houston store opened in 1985, marking the beginning of expansion outside Nebraska. By 1984, catalogs and other direct-mail activity represented approximately half of sales, with the remainder coming from restaurants, hotels, and institutional accounts. By 2021, the company reported 48 retail stores in 20 states. Omaha Steaks was an early participant in electronic and digital direct marketing. It placed an online advertisement on CompuServe in 1991 and developed a significant presence on America Online by 1995, when its online operations were receiving roughly 20,000 responses per month. The company became part of the Microsoft Network in 1998 and that year opened corporate and marketing offices adjacent to an expanded telemarketing facility. These initiatives extended a commercial model that already relied on catalogs, telephone ordering, and targeted customer communications. The modern company manufactures, markets, and distributes beef, seafood, chicken, pork, appetizers, side dishes, desserts, and other prepared foods. Its routes to market include e-commerce, mail order, telesales, retail stores, corporate and incentive sales, food service, licensed restaurants, specialty shops, and other food retailers. During holiday peaks, shipments can reach approximately 100,000 packages per day, and the company has used large numbers of temporary workers to meet seasonal demand. Omaha remains its headquarters and the center of its family-business identity. Marketing has consistently connected the brand with premium meat, American butchery, gifting, outdoor cooking, and entertaining. The company began advertising mail-order steaks in The New Yorker in 1958 and has maintained a long advertising relationship with the publication. It also developed cookbook publishing and chef partnerships, including work associated with James Beard, Merle Ellis, Frederick J. Simon, and later David Rose. In 2010, the company obtained a trademark for “The Official Sponsor of Tailgating.” The Simon family has continued to be associated with ownership and leadership, although detailed ownership structure is not publicly specified in the supplied references. Todd Simon has been identified as chairman and chief steak evangelist, and Nate Rempe as president and chief executive officer. The company and affiliated family interests have supported arts, education, health, hunger relief, and disaster-response organizations. Its history also includes a legal controversy involving alleged automated telemarketing calls; the related class-action matter concluded with a $2 million settlement in 2016.
- 2021
Retail network reported at 48 stores
[1]The company was reported to operate 48 retail stores across 20 states.
- 2020
David Rose becomes executive chef and spokesperson
[1]Chef David Rose was announced as executive chef and spokesperson, with a role in product development.
- 2016
Robocall class-action settlement
[1]The company settled a class-action lawsuit alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
- 2010
Tailgating trademark granted
[1]Omaha Steaks received a trademark for the phrase “The Official Sponsor of Tailgating.”
- 1998
Company joins the Microsoft Network
[1]The brand expanded its digital distribution and marketing presence through the Microsoft Network and opened new corporate and marketing offices.
- 1995
Online customer presence develops
[1]Omaha Steaks had a substantial America Online presence and a functional website, receiving significant monthly responses through digital channels.
- 1991
Early online advertising
[1]The company placed an online advertisement on CompuServe, an early step in its digital direct-marketing program.
- 1985
Retail expansion reaches Texas
[1]Omaha Steaks opened a store in Houston, its first retail location outside Nebraska.
- 1976
First Omaha Steaks retail store opens
[1]The company opened its first retail store in Omaha, giving consumers an additional purchasing channel beyond mail order and restaurants.
- 1966
Company adopts the Omaha Steaks name
[1]The business changed its name to Omaha Steaks and moved to a new production plant.
Products and positioning
A premium American meat and gourmet-food brand built around quality, convenience, direct delivery, gifting, and entertaining.
Beef · 1917
Steaks and beef
The core Omaha Steaks range includes individual steaks, premium cuts, aged beef, burgers, ground beef, and steak assortments. These products are sold through retail, catalog, telephone, and online channels, often in gift-oriented packages designed for home cooking, grilling, and special occasions.
Food gifts · 1952
Meat gift assortments
Gift assortments combine steaks and other meats with complementary foods in packaged collections for holidays, corporate gifting, celebrations, and household entertaining. The format is central to the company's direct-to-consumer identity and supports seasonal demand.
Meat · 1963
Pork and poultry
The catalog broadened beyond beef to include pork and poultry. These products extend the brand's positioning from a steak specialist into a broader provider of frozen and prepared proteins for everyday meals and mixed gift boxes.
Seafood · 1963
Seafood
Seafood is part of the company's expanded gourmet-food assortment. It is marketed alongside steaks, other meats, side dishes, and desserts, allowing Omaha Steaks to offer combination packages for dinners, holidays, and gifting.
Prepared foods · 1963
Appetizers and side dishes
The company sells complementary appetizers, side dishes, and prepared foods intended to accompany its meat and seafood products. These items support the brand's convenience proposition by helping customers assemble complete meals from a single delivered order.
Desserts · 1963
Desserts
Desserts form part of the broader Omaha Steaks catalog and gift assortment. Their inclusion extends the brand from protein delivery into complete meal and celebration packages, particularly during holiday and gifting seasons.
Publishing · 1997
Cookbooks and cooking guides
Omaha Steaks has published or sponsored cooking books and guides covering grilling, beef recipes, entertaining, and seasonal preparation. These publications reinforce the company's culinary expertise and provide usage guidance for shipped products.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2020David Rose culinary ambassador program
United States
Chef David Rose was appointed executive chef and spokesperson, with responsibilities that included public representation and consultation on product development.
Outcome. The company added a contemporary chef personality to its culinary marketing platform.
- 2010The Official Sponsor of Tailgating
United States
Omaha Steaks built marketing around tailgating and received a trademark for the phrase “The Official Sponsor of Tailgating,” linking the brand to outdoor cooking and sports-related entertaining.
Outcome. The program reinforced the brand's grilling and group-occasion positioning.
- 1991CompuServe online advertising
United States
The company placed an early online advertisement on CompuServe, extending its catalog and telephone direct-marketing model into digital media.
Outcome. Omaha Steaks became an early adopter of online direct response.
- 1980Merle Ellis spokesperson program
United States
Cookbook author Merle Ellis represented Omaha Steaks during the 1980s as the company expanded its direct-mail and food-content activities.
Outcome. The brand continued using culinary personalities to support recipe and product communication.
- 1970James Beard spokesperson program
United States
Chef James Beard served as a company spokesperson during the 1970s, connecting Omaha Steaks with culinary authority and recipe-based food marketing.
Outcome. The partnership strengthened the brand's chef-led credibility.
- 1958The New Yorker mail-order advertising
United States
Omaha Steaks began advertising mail-order steaks in The New Yorker, establishing a long-running national direct-response campaign associated with premium food gifting and home delivery.
Outcome. The publication relationship became one of the company's longest-running advertising programs.
Brand decisions
2020
Appointment of David Rose as culinary spokespersonStrategyBackground
The company continued to use culinary expertise and personalities to support product education and brand communication.
Action taken
Omaha Steaks named chef David Rose executive chef and spokesperson and involved him in product development.
Aftermath
The appointment extended the brand's chef-led marketing and product-development approach.
2010
Tailgating brand positioningOtherBackground
Grilling and group entertaining were natural use occasions for the company's meat products.
Action taken
The company obtained a trademark for “The Official Sponsor of Tailgating.”
Aftermath
The phrase supported a stronger association with outdoor cooking, sports gatherings, and entertaining.
1991
Adoption of online direct marketingStrategyBackground
Omaha Steaks already had experience with catalogs, telephone sales, and other direct-response methods.
Action taken
The company placed an advertisement on CompuServe and subsequently developed broader online activity.
Aftermath
Digital channels became part of the company's multichannel customer-acquisition and ordering model.
1976
Entry into company-operated retailStrategyBackground
The company had previously reached consumers mainly through restaurants and mail-order purchasing.
Action taken
Omaha Steaks opened its first retail store in Omaha.
Aftermath
Retail became an additional customer touchpoint and was later expanded outside Nebraska.
1966
Rebranding as Omaha SteaksStrategyBackground
The family meat business had expanded beyond its original local operating identity.
Action taken
The company changed its name to Omaha Steaks and moved to a new plant.
Aftermath
The new name aligned the business with its home city and became the foundation of its national consumer brand.
1952
Launch of direct-to-consumer mail orderStrategyBackground
The company sought to sell its meat beyond local wholesale and food-service customers.
Action taken
It began packing orders with dry ice and shipping them directly to households.
Aftermath
Mail order became a defining channel and laid the foundation for the later catalog, telephone, and e-commerce businesses.
Recent events
- 2020
Omaha Steaks announces chef David Rose as executive chef and spokesperson[1]
Leadership change · Campaign · Other
The company announced that chef David Rose would represent the brand and advise on product development.
- 1985
Omaha Steaks expands its retail-store network[1]
Other
The company opened a store in Houston, extending its retail presence beyond Nebraska after beginning with an Omaha location in 1976.
Sources4 sources
- 1Omaha Steaksen.wikipedia.org
- 2Omaha Steaks official websiteomahasteaks.com
- 3Galvan Launches 13th Annual Spring Fling Steak Promotion for Wholesalers of Electrical Grounding Products and Connectorsprweb.com
- 4Omaha Steaks Unveils Business Transformation and New “No Bull” Brand Platform, Doubling Down on Value and Transparency - Perishable Newsnews.google.com
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