Primanti Brothers (, ), sometimes called Primanti’s for short, is a chain of sandwich shops in the eastern United States. Since its founding in 1933 in Pittsburgh, Primanti's has become a cultural icon of the region. The chain is known for its signature sandwiches of grilled meat, melted cheese, an oil and vinegar-based coleslaw, tomato slices, and French fries between two thick slices of Italian bread. During the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards, Primanti's was named as one of "America's Classic" restaurants. History In 1933 the first Primanti's opened at 46 18th Street in Pittsburgh's Strip District, a busy area along the Allegheny River. At the time, the Strip District was a major industrial center in Pittsburgh filled with factories, warehouses, and shipyards. According to the restaurant, Joe Primanti, born in suburban Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, invented the restaurant's sandwich during the Great Depression. His brothers, Dick and Stanley, later joined him. The Primantis opened their restaurant at Smallman Street and 18th Street in the Strip District which still stands today. The restaurant primarily served the late-night and early-morning workers who were unloading produce. The tradition of the signature sandwiches (typically ordered by number based on a "menu" written on a huge chalkboard behind the counter) was to combine the sandwich and side of fries, held (grilled) together with eggs as a binding unit, straight from the grill into a hoagie bun. The sandwich was then wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and sold. The sandwich's design and packaging was designed to reduce spillage. With the passing of Stanley Primanti in the early 1970s and John in 1974, Dick decided to sell the business to Jim Patrinos in 1975. Today there are 16 Pittsburgh locations, including at the city's major sports venues PNC Park, Acrisure Stadium, and the PPG Paints Arena, as well as several other locations throughout the eastern United States. In recent years, it has become tradition for Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft Picks to visit the original Primanti Brothers location in the Strip District, Pittsburgh, upon their arrival in Pittsburgh. Notable picks include 2017 NFL Draft 1st round pick T. J. Watt and 2nd round pick, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and 2019 NFL Draft first round pick, Devin Bush Jr. Sports-themed specials The chain expressed its support for the Pittsburgh Penguins during their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in their 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons, releasing two limited-time sandwiches in their honor. In 2016,