Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, opened its first Chicago location late last month in time for a celebration of the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series for the first time in 108 years.
Capriotti’s of Chicago will feature the brand’s 40-year tradition of slow-roasting whole all-natural turkeys in-house every night. The turkeys are then hand-shredded every morning to be featured in a variety of Capriotti’s fan-favorite subs.
The chain was founded on Union Street in Wilmington and now has 100 locations.
While The Bobbie (Thanksgiving in a sandwich) is a signature item, the restaurant, located at 180 N. Wabash Ave. in downtown Chicago, also features a wide array of sandwiches that were developed in Delaware. Including the Capastrami, made with hot pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and homemade
The Chicago Capriotti’s will also serve a variety of salads and is the first among the fast-casual brand’s locations to offer a breakfast menu with options such as steak and egg and pastrami and egg served on soft rolls.
The new Chicago location is owned by restaurateurs Craig Garofalo and Andy Poch. After attending culinary school at Kendall College, the two best friends managed a variety of well-known high-end restaurants around the country and abroad.
When it came time to consider opening their own place, Garofalo turned to the authentic sandwich shop his family grew up with: Capriotti’s
. Since Poch had never tried the restaurant before, Garofalo took him on a road trip over the Wisconsin border to try Capriotti’s sandwiches.
“As trained chefs, it was important to us to choose a franchise brand that focuses on fresh, quality food,” Poch said. “The sandwiches are unique and original, unlike any other creations you would find elsewhere. We actually crave the food and drive several hours to get a Capastrami or a Cheese Steak.”
Garofalo added, “Chicago is a foodie market. We wanted to bring them something truly special. It was important to Andy and I to open a place where we truly enjoy the food ourselves and felt proud of what we are serving. Capriotti’s met both requirements.”
Poch and Garofalo plan to open at least two more downtown locations.
“Bringing Capriotti’s to a new market is an exciting move for our brand, and we’re confident that Chicagoans will quickly fall in love with our food,” said Ashley Morris, CEO of Capriotti’s. “Andy and Craig are extremely qualified restauranteurs. They are going to do us proud in Chicago.”
To learn more about Capriotti’s, please visit capriottis.com.
