Penn Station (restaurant)
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]
 | |
 Penn Station location in Springboro, Ohio | |
| Type | Private Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1985 in Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Founder | Jeff Osterfeld |
| Headquarters | Cincinnati, Ohio |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Sandwiches |
| Subsidiaries | Planet Sub |
| Website | penn-station |
History
_original_logo.png.webp){kind=logo}
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. Today, Penn Station has become a large chain across the Midwest with 306 restaurants currently open in 15 states across the United States.
With the COVID-19 pandemic that began in mid-March 2020, most locations had increased their offering to serve customers via drive-thru, take-away and pick-up service in order to supplement dine-in customers.
References
- "History". Penn Station. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- 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.