Steak Escape is entering a new chapter under second-generation leader Kyle Turner, who is working to bring the Columbus-born cheesesteak brand back to its roots while preparing it for its next phase of growth.
Turner, the son of Steak Escape co-founder Mark Turner, is now serving as CEO of the company. He told What Now Columbus that he took over the day-to-day operations of the business about a year and a half ago after previously spending about nine years helping his father with another family restaurant business.
Founded in Columbus in 1982 by Mark Turner and Ken Smith, Steak Escape began as a small cheesesteak shop in the city’s French Market. The brand eventually grew into a national franchise known for cheesesteaks, fresh-cut fries and freshly prepared food.
For Kyle Turner, taking over the company is also personal.
“I grew up around restaurants, specifically Steak Escape and their other concepts and everything,” Turner said. “And to try to turn it around and put Steak Escape back into its heyday means a lot to me, and it’s something that I want to do to honor my dad and also, you know, make my family proud.”
Turner said one of his biggest priorities is bringing the brand’s attention back to what made it successful in the first place: cheesesteaks.
When he became more involved with the company, Turner said he saw an opportunity to improve the food, marketing and overall restaurant operations.
At the brand’s two current corporate locations in Central Ohio — Westerville and Hilliard — the menu is being streamlined to put cheesesteaks, fries and other core offerings at the center of the experience.
The changes include introducing fresh-sliced ribeye, adding Cooper Sharp cheese as an option alongside provolone, and offering two styles of rolls, including an Italian roll and a semolina sesame-seeded roll.
The Westerville location is at 579 S. State St., while the Hilliard restaurant is at 2540 Hilliard Rome Road.
“We are focusing more on cheesesteaks, fries, and the things that made Steak Escape, you know, the best it was at the time,” Turner said.
The company has also been testing the updated menu and gathering feedback from customers at its Central Ohio restaurants.
Turner said that feedback has directly influenced several decisions. The company initially removed its nine-inch cheesesteak option, for example, but brought it back after customers made it clear they wanted the middle size.
The same process happened with the rolls.
“I thought people would only want the semolina seeded roll,” Turner said. “Found out that people very much like the Italian, so we brought the Italian rolls back as well.”
For Turner, narrowing the menu is about giving Steak Escape a clearer identity.
The brand originally focused on cheesesteaks, fresh-cut fries and lemonade. Turner believes returning to that foundation gives the company a stronger opportunity to improve the quality of its core products.
“You gotta stand for something,” Turner said. “If our cheesesteak isn’t as good as it can be, then we can’t even start to work on these other items.”
He said the goal is not simply to position Steak Escape as an inexpensive fast-food option, but to build it into a premium cheesesteak brand.
“We want to be a premium cheesesteak brand, not just a cheap option for people on the side of the road,” Turner said.
That philosophy is also influencing the ingredients being used. The company is testing ribeye for its cheesesteaks, which Turner said he believes produces a stronger product, along with Cooper Sharp cheese and different roll options.
The updated menu is being tested at the company’s corporate locations, with Turner saying the Westerville and Hilliard restaurants are producing cheesesteaks that can compete with other cheesesteak concepts.
One menu item Turner particularly wants customers to try is the Grand Escape, which he described as the original cheesesteak Steak Escape launched with in 1982.
The sandwich features steak, onions, cheese, green peppers and mushrooms.
“My dad and his partner, you know, kind of expanded cheesesteaks across America on the back of the Grand Escape,” Turner said.
The sandwich represents what Turner sees as an important part of the company’s history and its future.
Rather than moving away from the brand’s original identity, Turner said the new menu is intended to bring Steak Escape closer to it.
“I would say that I’m actually reintroducing the classic Steak Escape by introducing this product,” he said.
While the immediate focus is on improving the existing corporate restaurants, Turner said Steak Escape is also looking toward expansion.
The company is open to franchise opportunities, and Turner said the brand would like to eventually expand into larger cities within its existing geographic footprint.
Those markets include Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Detroit, with Turner saying the company wants to maintain a relatively concentrated footprint as it grows so it can maintain its quality standards.
“We wanna keep, you know, a closer footprint for now as we expand so that we can keep up with the quality standards that we want,” Turner said.
Steak Escape currently operates 23 locations, according to a March 2026 company announcement, which also identified the brand as a quick-service restaurant franchise specializing in fresh-grilled cheesesteaks, sandwiches and fries.
For now, Turner said the priority is making the Westerville and Hilliard corporate restaurants as strong as possible before accelerating expansion.
The next stage of Steak Escape’s development will extend beyond the food.
Turner said the company is planning some rebranding over the next year to complement the new menu. Restaurant renovations are also planned as the company works to create a more welcoming and consistent customer experience.
“We are going to be working on a little bit of rebranding in this next year to go along with our new menu,” Turner said. “We want to renovate our restaurants to make them feel better and make people have a truly good experience at our locations.”
The company is also working with the goal of developing a model for future restaurants.
Once the updated food, branding and restaurant experience are in place, Turner said Steak Escape plans to gradually expand while working with franchise partners who share the company’s focus on quality.
The goal, he said, is to build “a premium cheesesteak brand” while maintaining the values that have been part of Steak Escape since its Columbus beginnings.
For Turner, that growth represents both a business opportunity and a continuation of his father’s legacy.
“My dad always talked about you could have a restaurant in the middle of nowhere,” Turner said. “And if the food is good enough, people will travel for it.”
Steak Escape’s current corporate locations in Westerville and Hilliard are serving as the testing grounds for that next chapter, as Turner works to rebuild the brand around its signature cheesesteaks, fresh ingredients, service and customer experience.
