Sirloin Stockade

Sirloin Stockade is an American restaurant brand combining steakhouse positioning with a buffet-service format. The brand dates to 1966, when its first restaurant opened in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It developed around a value-oriented dining proposition: customers could choose from a broad spread of hot foods, salads, side dishes, desserts, and steakhouse-style items in a single restaurant visit. Many locations became visually recognizable through large cow figures positioned outside the restaurants. The brand is part of Stockade Companies, LLC, a privately held, multi-concept restaurant company headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. Stockade Companies was established in 1984 by a group of Sirloin Stockade franchisees, giving the corporate organization a franchisee-led origin distinct from the earlier founding of the Sirloin Stockade restaurant brand itself. The company subsequently operated several related concepts, including Montana Mike's, a more upscale steakhouse concept associated with mountain-cabin architecture, and WingMe. It also operated restaurants under the Coyote Canyon name for a period. Sirloin Stockade's core identity is based on accessible family dining rather than a narrowly specialized steakhouse experience. Its buffet model allows customers to assemble meals from multiple categories, while the steakhouse name and brand imagery communicate grilled meat and Western-style restaurant cues. This combination has helped distinguish the chain from both conventional full-service steakhouses and limited-menu quick-service restaurants. The physical design of many restaurants, particularly the prominent cow sculptures, has also served as a recurring element of brand recognition. Tom Ford became CEO of Stockade Companies in 2008. Ford had joined the original Sirloin Stockade operation on its first day in 1966 as a dishwasher, later working in other roles while attending college and eventually purchasing a Sirloin Stockade restaurant in the Austin, Texas area in 1979. His career provides a long connection between the original brand and the later multi-brand company, although publicly available reference material does not establish the complete current executive roster or ownership structure. According to the cited company-history reference, as of May 2026 Stockade Companies operated eight Sirloin Stockade restaurants: four in Texas, two in Missouri, and one each in Oklahoma and Kentucky. The same reference lists seven Montana Mike's locations. These figures describe the operating footprint of the brand at that time and should not be treated as a permanent total because restaurant locations can change. Sirloin Stockade remains an active regional American restaurant brand, with its principal presence in the United States and its business identity closely tied to buffet dining, steakhouse meals, and family-oriented value.

Sirloin Stockade began in 1966 with the opening of its first restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The concept combined steakhouse associations with buffet dining, allowing guests to select from a wide range of prepared foods in a family-oriented setting. This format gave the brand a broader proposition than a conventional steakhouse focused primarily on individually ordered entrées. The restaurants became especially identifiable through large cow sculptures placed outside many locations, a distinctive visual feature that reinforced the brand's meat-focused name and helped customers recognize the buildings from the road. The later corporate structure emerged from the brand's franchise network. In 1984, a group of Sirloin Stockade franchisees established Stockade Companies, LLC. The company became a privately held multi-concept restaurant operator rather than a business associated solely with one restaurant name. Alongside Sirloin Stockade, it developed or operated concepts including Montana Mike's, positioned as a more upscale steakhouse with restaurants designed to evoke Rocky Mountain cabins, and WingMe. Stockade Companies also operated the Coyote Canyon concept for a period. Tom Ford represents an important continuity in the company's history. He started working for Sirloin Stockade on the first day of operation in 1966 as a dishwasher. He later held additional positions while attending college and, in 1979, purchased a Sirloin Stockade restaurant in the Austin, Texas area. Ford became CEO of Stockade Companies in 2008. His progression from an entry-level role at the original restaurant to leadership of the multi-concept company illustrates the operational and franchisee-centered path through which the organization developed. The company's concept portfolio changed over time. The final Coyote Canyon restaurant, in Bradley, Illinois, closed on June 2, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure ended that name's presence in the company's operating restaurant portfolio, while Sirloin Stockade and Montana Mike's continued as the principal concepts identified in the available company reference. As of May 2026, the cited reference listed eight Sirloin Stockade restaurants: four in Texas, two in Missouri, one in Oklahoma, and one in Kentucky. It also listed seven Montana Mike's restaurants in Indiana, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Texas. The available material does not provide a full chronology of individual restaurant openings, closures, franchise agreements, menu changes, ownership transactions, or financial performance. Sirloin Stockade is therefore best understood as an active regional United States restaurant brand within the broader Stockade Companies portfolio, with its historical identity built around buffet service, steakhouse food, family dining, and highly visible cow-themed roadside branding.

• 2026

  Reported eight-location Sirloin Stockade footprint

  [1]Stockade Companiesen.wikipedia.org

  As of May 2026, Stockade Companies is reported to operate eight Sirloin Stockade locations across four states.

• 2020

  Final Coyote Canyon location closes

  [1]Stockade Companiesen.wikipedia.org

  The last Coyote Canyon restaurant, in Bradley, Illinois, closes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2008

  Tom Ford becomes CEO

  [1]Stockade Companiesen.wikipedia.org

  Tom Ford becomes chief executive officer of Stockade Companies after a long career with the Sirloin Stockade system.

• 1984

  Stockade Companies is established

  [1]Stockade Companiesen.wikipedia.org

  A group of Sirloin Stockade franchisees establishes Stockade Companies, LLC as a multi-concept restaurant company.

• 1979

  Tom Ford purchases an Austin-area Sirloin Stockade restaurant

  [1]Stockade Companiesen.wikipedia.org

  After working in several roles with the brand, Tom Ford purchases a Sirloin Stockade restaurant in the Austin, Texas area.

• 1966

  First Sirloin Stockade restaurant opens

  [1]Stockade Companiesen.wikipedia.org

  The first Sirloin Stockade restaurant opens in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, establishing the brand's steakhouse and buffet concept.

A regional, value-oriented American family restaurant combining steakhouse cues with an expansive buffet format.

• Buffet dining · 1966

  Sirloin Stockade buffet

  The brand's central offering is a broad buffet meal that lets guests choose from multiple prepared-food categories in one visit. The format is designed for family and group dining, with steakhouse-style meat offerings supplemented by hot sides, salads, vegetables, desserts, and beverages. It emphasizes variety and perceived value rather than a single signature entrée.

• Steakhouse · 1966

  Steakhouse meals

  Steakhouse meals form the brand's principal culinary identity. Meat-focused dishes and grilled or carved items give the buffet concept a steakhouse orientation, distinguishing Sirloin Stockade from general-purpose cafeteria and buffet operators. The available reference material does not specify a complete current menu or individual product lineup.

• Family restaurant · 1966

  Family buffet dining

  Sirloin Stockade's restaurant format is structured for family-oriented dining, offering multiple food choices that can accommodate different preferences at the same table. The combination of buffet service and steakhouse branding supports a casual, accessible occasion rather than a formal steakhouse experience.

• 2020

  Closure of the final Coyote Canyon restaurantStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic affected restaurant operations, and Stockade Companies' remaining Coyote Canyon location was in Bradley, Illinois.

  Action taken

  The Bradley location closed on June 2, 2020, ending the company's reported Coyote Canyon operations.

  Aftermath

  The available source identifies the closure but does not provide financial results or explain any subsequent repositioning of the Sirloin Stockade brand.

  Source

• 1984

  Franchisee-led formation of Stockade CompaniesStrategy

  Background

  Sirloin Stockade had developed a franchise network by the 1980s, and a group of franchisees created a broader corporate organization.

  Action taken

  The franchisees established Stockade Companies, LLC, creating a multi-concept restaurant company around the Sirloin Stockade business.

  Aftermath

  The company later operated Sirloin Stockade alongside other restaurant concepts, including Montana Mike's, WingMe, and Coyote Canyon for a period.

  Source

1. 1Stockade Companiesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Sirloin Stockade official websitesirloinstockade.com