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Primanti Bros. (, ), sometimes called Primanti's for short, is a
chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...
of sandwich shops in the eastern United States. Since its Pittsburgh founding in 1933, Primanti's has become a cultural icon of the region. The chain is known for its signature sandwiches made of grilled meat, melted cheese, an oil and vinegar-based coleslaw, tomato slices, and
French fries French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips ( Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. Th ...
between two thick slices of
Italian bread This is a list of Italian dishes and foods. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine has its origins in Etruscan, ancient Greek, and ancie ...
. During the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards, Primanti's was named as one of " America's Classic" restaurants.


History

In 1933, the first Primanti's opened at 46 Eighteenth Street in Pittsburgh's Strip District, a busy area along the
Allegheny River The Allegheny River ( ) is a long headwater stream of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York. The Allegheny River runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border northwesterly into ...
. At the time, the Strip District was a major industrial center in Pittsburgh, filled with factories, warehouses, and shipyards. According to the restaurant, Joe Primanti, was born in suburban Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, and eventually invented the restaurant's sandwich during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. His brothers, Dick and Stanley, later joined him. The Primantis opened their restaurant at the corner of Smallman and Eighteenth Street in the Strip District, which still stands today. The restaurant primarily served the late-night and early-morning workers who unloaded produce in the area. The tradition of the signature sandwiches (typically ordered by number from a "menu" listed on a large chalkboard) was to combine the sandwich and side of fries with grilled eggs forming a binding unit. Taken straight from the grill and into a hoagie bun, the sandwich was then wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and sold. The sandwich's design and packaging was designed to reduce spillage. With the passing of Stanley Primanti in the early 1970s and John in 1974, Dick decided to sell the business to Jim Patrinos in 1975. Today, there are 16 Pittsburgh locations, including at the city's major sports venues PNC Park, Acrisure Stadium, and PPG Paints Arena, as well as several other locations throughout the eastern United States. In recent years, it has become tradition for
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
Draft Picks to visit the original Primanti Bros. location in the Strip District upon their arrival to the city. Notable picks include
2017 NFL Draft The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...
first- and second-round picks, T. J. Watt, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as
2019 NFL Draft The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
first-round pick,
Devin Bush Jr. Devin Marquese Bush Jr. (born July 18, 1998) is an American football inside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. Early years Bush was born in 1998. He is the son ...


Sports-themed specials

The chain expressed its support for the Pittsburgh Penguins during their back-to-back
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
championships in their 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons, releasing two limited-time sandwiches in their honor. The 2016 sandwich honored the Penguins' third
line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...
, Carl. Hagelin,
Nick Bonino Nicholas Lawrence Bonino (born April 20, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey center and an alternate captain for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsbu ...
and Phil Kessel, and was named the "HBK Sandwich". Late into the 2017 season, the chain then introduced the "Canadian Pitts-Burger", honoring goaltender Marc-André Fleury during his final season with the Penguins. The Canadian bacon sandwich was available at all Primanti Bros. locations for a limited time.


Locations

Primanti Bros. locations are found throughout Pennsylvania, particularly in and around Pittsburgh. In addition to other Pennsylvania locations, restaurants have been established in Florida, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan and Indiana.


Reception

The restaurant and its signature sandwich have been featured in several national publications and television shows, including ''
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'' magazine, ''
Man v. Food ''Man v. Food'' is an American food reality television series. It premiered on December 3, 2008 on the Travel Channel. The program was originally hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman explores the "big food" o ...
'', and '' Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America''. Primanti Bros. made the '' Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''s list of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die in the USA and Canada", and their sandwich is a featured Pittsburgh landmark on Yinztagram. The restaurant was mentioned on the April 21, 2008, episode of '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' in an interview with Senator Barack Obama. Stewart suggested that Obama visit the restaurant for its "great sandwiches", which Stewart had enjoyed as a comedian on the club circuit. An ESPN.com rating of PNC Park mentioned that the stadium's "best oncessionitem is the famous Primanti Brothers sandwich, a Pittsburgh institution", and granted this "signature concession item" an exuberant score of "5+++" (out of 5). This helped PNC Park to achieve its overall #1 ranking in the feature.


Credit card lawsuit and settlement

On March 9, 2011, U.S. District Judge
David S. Cercone David Stewart Cercone (born November 24, 1952) is a Senior status, senior United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Born in Pitts ...
approved a settlement between Primanti Bros. and a customer in response to a lawsuit over the content of credit card receipts. In the suit, the plaintiff, Nora Hoxha, claimed that the restaurant's credit card receipts revealed too many, if not all, of the digits of a customer's credit card number, a violation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. As part of the settlement, the restaurant agreed to provide affected customers with a free menu item and a side dish or non-alcoholic drink. The restaurant also agreed to make a donation of $25,000 to the Carnegie Museums and pay up to $62,000 for the plaintiff's attorneys' costs.


References


External links


Official website
{{Pittsburgh Fast-food chains of the United States Restaurants in Pittsburgh Tourist attractions in Pittsburgh Regional restaurant chains in the United States Restaurants established in 1933 1933 establishments in Pennsylvania Companies based in Pittsburgh America's Classics winners