When Marv Gibbs and Arthur Morey opened a restaurant called Red Lion Beef in Ballwin, Missouri, they had two goals: serve the highest-quality top round beef and create an environment where customers could enjoy a nutritious meal with friends and family.

The restaurant was soon renamed Lion’s Choice, a nod to an old saying that meant you had the best of something. It was an instant success. And in 1969, the second location opened in Creve Coeur, MO, followed by many others around the greater St. Louis area.