Public art by artist Joana Vasconcelos in Porto

Steak 'n Shake is a classic American brand famous for the original Steakburger and hand-dipped milkshakes. It was founded By Gus Belt in Normal, Illinois in February 1934. 

The international expansion in Europe led to the opening of a third location in Portugal, this time in Porto, at number 67 of Praça Guilherme Gomes Fernandes, in downtown Porto. The official opening was attended by many prominent society members, including the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira.

To mark the occasion, there was an official presentation of a painted artwork by the fine artist Joana Vasconcelos. It is a 20 meters long mural painting, composed of eight thousand hand-painted tiles, covering the facade of the restaurant next to the Clérigos. It is the largest public art work by artist Joana Vasconcelos.

The mayor praised the work of Joana Vasconcelos, reiterating that "public art does not have to be exclusively financed by the municipality and it can and should also be financed by private investors."

Rui Moreira also highlighted the "restoration project of another historic building in downtown Porto", an investment of 1.1 million euros that will create 100 direct jobs. "It's the private sector powering the economy" the Mayor said.

The three-storey building profiles some different features regarding the standard of the Steak'n Shake stores. The restaurant in Porto represents the largest investment of the brand in Portugal so far.