How Swiss Butter Turned a French Classic into the World’s Most Imitated Restaurant Concept
When Swiss Butter first opened its doors in Beirut in 2017, the mission was radical in its simplicity. No sprawling menus. No seasonal gimmicks. Just three things done remarkably well: steak, fries, and a butter-based sauce with thirty-three herbs and spices. In an industry obsessed with reinvention, Swiss Butter focused on refinement. And that singular decision sparked a global ripple effect.
Once a dish anchored to nostalgic French brasseries and the occasional bistro throwback, steak frites has quietly (and now loudly) become its own category. Food critics, F&B analysts and TikTokers alike are catching up to what Swiss Butter quietly proved: that steak frites, when elevated and executed with total consistency, can command the kind of cultural relevance usually reserved for burgers, ramen or pizza.
It is no longer just a dish. It is a movement.
Swiss Butter
The Birth of a Category
Steak Frites Sauce (or SFS) is now being used as shorthand across hospitality circles to describe a new wave of stripped-back dining concepts where a single plate is the hero. And while dozens have tried to replicate the model, few have matched the precision.
From New York to Sydney, imitators have sprung up, often borrowing not just the format but the visual language, plating and even the name. In Manchester, a restaurant recently launched with an almost carbon copy of Swiss Butter’s setup, right down to the cast-iron pans and ‘secret’ sauce. Others, like Skirt Steak in NYC or Rockpool’s new venture in Australia, have taken the SFS idea and run with it in their own direction.
But copycats rarely capture what Swiss Butter has always understood: the power of restraint, paired with full ownership. No franchising. No shortcuts. Just total control over the product and the team, from the first plate in Beirut to the late-night queues in London and Madrid.
Swiss Butter
A Cultural Cue, Not Just a Craving
This is not just about steak. Swiss Butter’s success reflects a larger shift in what modern diners value. In a food culture bloated with choice, the new luxury is simplicity. A dish you can crave weekly. A space that feels familiar across cities. A brand that trades complexity for consistency.
Search data shows a global spike in interest around steak frites in the last three years. It is become the comfort food of the curated generation: premium, indulgent, photogenic, and grounded in a sense of experience. You do not need a menu. You already know what to order.
Swiss Butter
Still the Original
In a dining world that increasingly rewards the minimalist, Swiss Butter remains the benchmark. And while others may echo the format, there is a growing recognition across media and industry that Swiss Butter is not following the trend, it is the reason the trend exists at all.
From Beirut to Brooklyn, steak frites is having a moment. Swiss Butter made sure it would last.
Swiss Butter