Penn Station (restaurant)

Last updated
Penn Station Inc.
Penn Station East Coast Subs
TypePrivate
Industry Restaurants
Genre Fast casual
Founded1985;38 years ago (1985) in Cincinnati, Ohio
FounderJeff Osterfeld
Headquarters Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Number of locations
306
Area served
United States
Key people
Jeff Osterfeld (CEO)
Products Sandwiches, wraps, salads
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$415 million (2021)
Number of employees
About 2,000
Website penn-station.com

Penn Station is a chain of restaurants specializing in what it calls "East Coast subs." The first restaurant was opened in 1985 by Jeff Osterfeld in Cincinnati, Ohio. [1] Currently, Penn Station has over 300 locations in 15 states. [2]

Contents

History

Original logo until 2016 Penn Station (restaurant) original logo.png
Original logo until 2016

The concept for an East Coast sub restaurant came to Jeff Osterfeld soon after he graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In 1983, he opened "Jeffrey's Delicatessen" at the Dayton Mall in Dayton, Ohio. It was during a trip to Philadelphia that he first realized the popularity of the cheesesteak sandwich. He began selling a version of the cheesesteak sandwich at his own restaurant, and it instantly became a huge hit.

He eventually expanded to Cincinnati, where he opened his first Penn Station restaurant in 1985. Originally, only four sandwiches were available, including the cheese steak. However, this first restaurant also offered fresh-cut french fries and freshly squeezed lemonade, two items that would become trademarks for Penn Station in the future.

By 1987, Osterfeld had opened several Penn Station restaurants in and around Cincinnati. He began selling franchises that year and restaurants soon opened in St. Louis, Louisville, and Nashville. As of 2023, Penn Station has become a large chain across the East coast with 306 restaurants open in 15 states across the United States.

See also

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References

  1. "History". Penn Station. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  2. Rose, Julie (2010-05-19). "Penn Station East Coast Subs in Loveland celebrates 16 years" (Press release). Mahan Advertising (Cincinnati.com). Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2010-05-24.