Penn Station (restaurant)

Infobox_Company
company_name = Penn Station, Inc.
company_
foundation = 1985
company_type = Corporation
location = Cincinnati, Ohio
key_people = Jeff Osterfeld, Founder
industry = Food
products = Sandwiches, east coast subs
homepage = [http://www.penn-station.com www.penn-station.com]

Penn Station is a chain of East Coast sub restaurants found throughout the South and Midwest United States. The first restaurant was opened in 1985 by Jeff Osterfeld. Today, there are more than 160 Penn Station restaurants in the United States.Fact|date=August 2008

History

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 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. Today, Penn Station has become a large chain across the South and Midwest, with 175 restaurants currently open.

In 2007, Penn Station was ranked #196 on Entrepreneur Magazine's list of the Top 500 International Franchises.In 2006, Penn Station was ranked #177.In 2005, Penn Station was ranked #145.In 2004, Penn Station was ranked #219.In 2003, Penn Station was ranked #186.The rankings are based primarily on financial strength and stability, and the system's growth rate and size.

One-legged bank robber orders Penn Station sub after heist

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that on January 20, 2007, a one-legged bank robber in a wheelchair went to a Penn Station East Coast Subs after he was left stranded by his accomplice, who had driven off without him after the heist. As the crime unfolded at the SunTrust branch, the man in the wheelchair gave a teller a note demanding money, police said, He then made his way across a parking lot to the sub shop, where employees thought he was just another customer.

Menu

Penn Station serves 14 types of subs, ranging from its trademark Philly Cheesesteak sub to the "create it yourself" Dagwood. All sandwiches are made to order in front of the customer.

Other Penn Station "signatures" include: Hand-cut French fries, Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade which is made daily, and Fresh-baked French bread.

Recently, Penn Station has started offering fresh salads, following a trend in providing healthier menu options. The salads, like the sandwiches, are made fresh. They are simply a "bread-less" version of a particular sandwich.

Another newly offered item is the Hot-Grilled Wraps, which, much like the salads, can transform any sandwich into a wrap.

For a short while, Penn Station tested soups at a few restaurants. There were two different kinds of soups a day, and every two days two different soups were available. The soups did not sell well enough, and the idea was abandoned.

External links

* [http://www.penn-station.com Penn Station Web Site]
* [http://www.penn-station.com/menu.php Penn Station Menu]
* [http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/pennstationeastcoastsubs/282673-0.html Penn Station's Listing on Entrepreneur Magazine's Web Site]
* [http://www.fastcasual.com/view_article.php?id=6641&na=1 One Legged Man Robs Bank And Dines At Penn Station]
* [http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192713474 Richmond Times-Dispatch Archived Story]
* [http://www.penn-station.com/story.php?id=33 Penn Station presence at Great American Ball Park]