Primanti Bros. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Primanti Bros. |
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The storefront of the original Primanti Bros. in the Strip District neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1933 |
| Current owner(s) | L Catterton |
| Food type | North American cuisine sandwich shop |
| Dress code | Casual |
| City | Pittsburgh |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°27′2.55″N 79°59′8.12″W / 40.4507083°N 79.9855889°W (original Strip District location) |
| Other locations | 41 |
| Website | www.primantibros.com |
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| Type | Sandwich |
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| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Pennsylvania (mainly western) |
| Created by | Primanti Bros. |
| Main ingredients | grilled meat, melted cheese, an oil & vinegar-based coleslaw, tomato slices, and French fries (on the sandwich) between two thick slices of Italian bread |
Primanti Bros. (/prɪˈmænti/, locally /pər-/), sometimes called Primanti's for short, is a chain 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 between two thick slices of Italian bread.
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. 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. 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 blue-collar workers who unloaded produce in the area.
The tradition of the signature sandwiches was to combine their typical sandwich (grilled meat, melted cheese, and tomatoes on Italian bread) with its usual sides, french fries and coleslaw, added onto the sandwich in order to form a singular binding unit. The sandwich's design and packaging was created to reduce spillage for busy depression-era truck drivers in Pittsburgh's Strip District, allowing them to eat one-handed on the job instead of sitting down at a deli counter.
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 Pittsburgh International Airport, and 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 NFL 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 first- and second-round picks, T. J. Watt, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as 2019 NFL Draft first-round pick, Devin Bush Jr.
In 2022, Primanti Bros. was visited by President Joe Biden and Senator John Fetterman.
Sports-themed specials
The chain expressed its support for the Pittsburgh Penguins during their back-to-back Stanley Cup 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, Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino 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.
