J.J. Simon and his son, B.A. started a meat cutting operation in an old carpentry store in 1917, after working as butchers for other people since their immigration to America, more than 20 years before. To save money they adopted the name of the carpentry shop, and inserted the word meat, so that the name became Table Meat Supply Co.

In 1929, B.A.’s son Lester joined the company and later convinced Union Pacific Railroad to serve Table Meat Supply steaks in their dining cars in the 1940s. Success with this operation, and requests from passengers to buy the steaks directly, prompted the company to try magazine ads and direct mail flyers in 1952.

Advances such as polystyrene coolers and vacuum packaging helped the company grow in the early 1960s. The first Omaha Steaks catalog was published in 1963, featuring an expanded product offering, including seafood, pork, poultry, and side dishes. In 1966 the company name was officially changed to Omaha Steaks.

In the 70’s they made history by offering a toll-free phone number for placing orders. They added retail stores in 1976, and in 1990 was among the first companies to have a presence online.

Today Omaha Steaks has more than 80 stores across the U.S. and a store on Amazon.