Trump Steaks is a discontinued brand of steak and other meats that was owned by businessman, reality television host and later US President Donald Trump. The brand was launched in 2007 and was exclusively sold through The Sharper Image and QVC. Trump Steaks failed to sell well through The Sharper Image, which discontinued sales of the brand after two months.
Video Trump Steaks
History
Businessman Donald Trump registered "Trump Steaks" as a U.S. trademark in August 2006. Trump Steaks were launched on May 8, 2007, exclusively through The Sharper Image's catalog, stores, and website as part of a three-month trial period. Later that month, Trump and some contestants from his reality television series The Apprentice attended an event at a Rockefeller Plaza Sharper Image store to promote the steaks.
The meat was supplied by Buckhead Beef, an Atlanta-based company, which also supplied meat to many of Trump's hotel-casino properties. Burgers and sausage were also sold under the Trump Steaks name. The steaks were USDA Angus certified, and came in four packages with prices ranging from $199 to $999, with the tagline of "The World's Greatest Steaks." A Trump Steak Gift Card was also sold at a cost of $1,037.
Trump was featured on the June 2007 issue of the Sharper Image magazine to promote Trump Steaks. On June 5, 2007, Trump Steaks debuted on the QVC home shopping television channel, with Trump making an appearance on the network.
Trump Steaks were only sold at The Sharper Image for two months before being discontinued. According to the company's CEO, Jerry W. Levin, the product was largely unsuccessful saying, "we literally almost sold no steaks", although advertisements featuring Trump's photo attracted customers to buy other products at the store. The Trump Steaks trademark was canceled in December 2014 according to a trademark search through the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
2016 U.S. presidential election
During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, a Super PAC supporting John Kasich produced an ad mocking Trump Steaks. Steaks from Bush Brothers Provision Co. were on display at Trump's Florida news conference celebrating his latest primary victories on March 8, 2016 during which Trump claimed them to be "Trump Steaks". Trump-branded wine and water were also displayed, as an example of Trump's success in business. Observers there noted the Trump-named steaks were produced by a butcher in West Palm Beach, Florida. In an interview with Anderson Cooper the following day, Trump confessed that he does not process the steaks but instead purchases them from local suppliers. As of April 2016 the only place the steaks can still be purchased is at Trump's various properties.
Maps Trump Steaks
Reception
The New York Post conducted a blind taste test and compared Trump Steaks with three New York City establishments. Trump Steaks earned a rating of 7.5 out of 10, a higher rating than Tad's Steaks and a local butcher business. However, the high cost of Trump Steaks was noted. Steaks from Peter Luger Steak House were declared superior with a rating of 9.5. The Associated Press and The Oklahoman wrote positive reviews of the steaks, but also noted the high pricing. The Palm Beach Post also wrote a positive review, giving the steaks an "A" and writing, "Trump isn't kidding. Our panelists could barely believe how flavorful and tender the 16-ounce bone-in rib-eye was." However, the high price of the steaks was also noted.
In 2015 and 2016 respectively, Time and the New York Daily News included Trump Steaks on a list of Trump business failures, while Vox noted that old Trump Steak reviews on QVC's website were about evenly mixed.
See also
- List of things named after Donald Trump
References
External links
- Official website
- Commercial for The Sharper Image featuring Trump on YouTube
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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