The first Mikes Kitchen brainchild of its founder Mike llano was opened in Greenside on the 17th September 1972The original centre was designed around a kitchen theme consisting of a distinctive black white and red check colour scheme Another price driven innovation which was to become a Mikes Kitchen trademark was the salad bar the actual dining area in the first restaurant had a large concrete plinth in the centre which Mike turned into an enduring Mikes Kitchen feature by covering it with a tablecloth and displaying his salads on it Besides being the first steakhouse to serve spare ribs basted with a secret marinade Mikes also had a distinctive look and promised wholesome hearty food at affordable prices for the whole family In the early 80s Mikes Kitchen grew extensively and opened 5