When longtime restaurateur and Chairman’s Club member Muzo Saritas bought a commercial property near I-85 in Suwanee, he didn’t plan to open another restaurant. The space had seen a string of concepts come and go, and his goal was to find a tenant who could build a sustainable business while adding value to the area.
But as prospective tenants pitched ideas, Saritas wasn’t convinced. “Their visions sounded like the restaurants that had already closed there,” he recalls.
Instead, he decided to create his own dream — a high-end, family-run steakhouse where guests would experience the refined quality of a big-city dining venue with more affordable prices and an easily accessible location. Three years later, Cuts Steakhouse of Sugarloaf has become exactly that: a premier dining destination in Gwinnett where every detail, from the marble and wood decor to the hand-cut steaks and chocolate shavings on top of desserts, helps create a memorable experience.
Creating an Exceptional Experience
Saritas, who has lived in Gwinnett County for more than 30 years, brought decades of restaurant ownership and management experience to the project. Yet even with his background, he approached the venture with a heightened sense of excellence. “I took my time and didn’t rush the project,” he says. “When I ordered the marble, I watched them cut it. I went to the wood shop to be sure every angle was cut perfectly. I wanted to touch every corner of this restaurant to create an exceptional experience.”
That same commitment to excellence carries through to the menu with a variety of seafood, signature specials and of course steaks. Saritas sources only Midwestern Angus beef directly from trusted farms. “Where you source your meat matters,” Saritas explains. “It matters what the cow eats and how the meat is handled. We only buy the highest-quality meat and hand-cut it in-house so our guests can enjoy the best steaks in Gwinnett.”
Service with Heart
Running a successful steakhouse, Saritas says, is as much about people as it is about food. “A steakhouse experience can be expensive, and most of our guests are here to celebrate a special occasion or impress a visitor who has come to town,” he says. “That once-a-year visit needs to be exceptional. I ask my team to imagine it’s their special day. How would they want to be treated? That’s how we treat our guests.”
That culture of care has created remarkable stability in an industry known for turnover. “I’m proud that we’ve been able to retain most of our staff from when we opened three years ago,” he says. “My staff members are proud of what they do, and we care for each other.”
Ideal for Family Celebrations and Business Events
Cuts Steakhouse has hosted Gwinnett Chamber meetings and local business events. The venue includes a private dining room that accommodates 18 to 30 guests and is equipped with a dedicated sound system, projector and screen, making it ideal for business gatherings.
Saritas says that as each anniversary of his restaurant’s opening rolls around, he’s filled with great pride from seeing his dream realized. He remembers early skepticism when presenting his plans to the city. “They told me it was overkill and that Gwinnett couldn’t support a restaurant like this,” he says. “But Cuts has been a great addition to Gwinnett’s upscale dining scene.”
