Amato's Sandwich Shops, Inc., is a chain of
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
restaurants that serves sandwiches,
pizza
Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...
and
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an Leavening agent, unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or Eggs as food, eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was originally on ...
throughout northern
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
, United States. It is best known for its
Maine Italian sandwich. About half of these are located throughout their home state of Maine. The chain also has a strong presence in Vermont, and there are a handful of other locations within New Hampshire. Additionally, a number of locations are located inside of Nouria gas stations in Massachusetts. Giovanni named his sandwiches "Italians" in honor of his homeland.
History
In 1902,
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
native Giovanni Amato and his wife, Michelina, opened a store on
India Street in
Portland, Maine
Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
. According to official literature, Amato's sandwiches contained
ham
Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...
,
American cheese
American cheese is a type of processed cheese made from Cheddar cheese, cheddar, Colby cheese, Colby, or similar cheeses, in conjunction with sodium citrate, which permits the cheese to be pasteurized without its components separating. It is mi ...
, and fresh vegetables, which the
Italian immigrants along the waterfront seemed to enjoy. Amato named his sandwich the "Italian" in honor of his country and his people.
Today, there are 40 locations operating under the Amato's brand. Dominic Reali also added
Greek olives,
sour pickles, and his own oil (a blend of
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
and
vegetable oil
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed ...
) to the famous Real Italian.
See also
*
Portland, Maine cuisine
References
External links
* {{Official website, www.amatos.com/home/
John F. Amato at the India Street Amato's in April 1959
Restaurants in Portland, Maine
Italian restaurants in the United States
Restaurants established in 1902
American companies established in 1902
1902 establishments in Maine
Fast-food franchises
Italian-American culture in Portland, Maine