Tony Luke's
Tony Luke's Old Philly Style Sandwiches | |
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Restaurant information | |
Slogan | The Real Taste of South Philly |
Established | 1990 |
Current owner(s) | Anthony Lucidonio Jr. |
Food type | Cheesesteaks, Italian roast pork, and other sandwiches |
Dress code | Casual |
Street address | 39 East Oregon Avenue |
City | Philadelphia |
Coordinates | 39°54′52″N 75°8′56″W / 39.91444°N 75.14889°WCoordinates: 39°54′52″N 75°8′56″W / 39.91444°N 75.14889°W |
Other locations | Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Florida, Bahrain. |
Website |
TonyLukes |
Tony Luke's is a cheesesteak restaurant that was founded in 1990 by Tony Lucidonio, Sr. and his sons, Tony Luke, Jr. and Nicky Lucidonio at its original location at 39 East Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia. The franchise has since expanded, with 16 locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, one location each in Delaware and Florida, and two locations in Bahrain.[1][2]
History
In the early 1990s Luke, Jr., his father and his brother, Nicky, bought a property near the expressway in South Philadelphia. To avoid competition with other local businesses, the original Tony Luke's stand offered a more diversified menu, offering hoagies and other fare, along with cheesesteaks. Luke Jr. soon took over the store's marketing.[3]
Eventually, the business grew to include several locations in the Philadelphia area and a line of frozen sandwiches. Through a partnership with Rastelli Foods Group, the business now has several franchised locations in Bahrain.[3]
Awards
In 1998 GQ magazine cited Tony Luke's as one of the Golden Dishes for the year.[4]
Business ventures
In 2008 Tony Luke expanded his franchise to frozen cheesesteaks and pork products known as Tony Luke's Pronto.[5]
Television appearances
Tony Luke was selected as Bobby Flay's adversary for an episode of the cooking show Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, with Luke winning the cheesesteak battle.[4] Tony Luke's was featured on Man v. Food with Adam Richman attempting the "Ultimate Cheesesteak Challenge", which consisted of 42 oz. of beef, 18 oz. of cheese, and 8 oz. of fried onions on a 20-inch hoagie roll.[6] Richman chose American cheese for his cheesesteak while Luke, who also took on the challenge, opted for the more traditional Cheez Whiz on his. Richman succeeded in the challenge while Luke failed.
See also
References
- ↑ "Tony Luke's Stores". Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ↑ Sarah Hoye (2010-12-09). "Get your Philly cheesesteak on – in Bahrain". CNN.
- 1 2 Chuck Darrow (2011-02-08). "Renaissance man Tony Luke is a Philly guy with many talents". Philly.com.
- 1 2 Caitlin Meals (2007-10-11). "Take a bite". South Philly Review.
- ↑ Rick Nichols (2009-03-12). "Tony Luke's frozen? How good can that be?". Philly.com.
- ↑ "Man v. Food Philadelphia". Man vs. Food. Season 2. Episode 8. Philadelphia. 2009-09-23. Food Network.