Bern's Steak House

The story of Bern’s Steak House begins in 1923 when Bern Laxer was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. After serving in World War II, Bern returned to New York City where he met his wife, Gert, in a copywriting class at NYU while earning his degree in advertising. Bern and Gert married in 1950, and Bern supported them with his one-man advertising agency. In 1951, Bern and Gert planned to move to California, but they first wanted to visit Bern’s aunt in Tampa. After watching his aunt labor tirelessly in the Chinese restaurant she owned for nearly 40 years, Bern vowed never to enter the restaurant business. During their time in Tampa, Bern and Gert ran out of money so they simply decided to call Tampa home. Bern found work in advertising with several companies, while also freelance writing a garden newsletter called Garden Notes in his spare time. Bern and Gert initially attempted to open a soft-serve ice cream parlor in downtown Tampa but couldn’t secure the necessary financing. In 1953, they bought a small luncheonette called The Gator Juice Bar which served orange juice, coffee, and cold sandwiches at lunch time. After several months, the Laxers added cold breakfast and opened earlier in order to accommodate more diners.