A Sub You Can Take to Dinner

It all started in a 1980’s mall food court, where franchise founder Jeff Osterfeld manned his sandwich shop, Jeffrey’s Delicatessen. Osterfeld was proud of his offerings, but couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the much longer line at a neighboring sandwich shop. Osterfield paid his food court rival a visit and quickly learned the secret to their success: Philly cheesesteaks.

Intrigued, Osterfeld decided to go right to the source, so he booked a trip to Philadelphia to investigate the art and science of cheesesteakery. Osterfeld returned with a passion for hot, fresh bread, and a newfound conviction that the best sandwiches come hot. Soon after, Penn Station was born and quickly became a hit with customers.

While Penn Station offers a number of classic subs, including chicken and Italian subs, it’s much more than your typical sandwich fare. The offerings are designed to feed a family, and the restaurant pulls double duty as a quick lunch solution and a hearty dinner option. Every sandwich is made with hearty, hearth-baked bread, and fresh meats, cheeses and vegetables. Fresh-cut fries are made from hand-selected potatoes, and the lemonade is made from scratch every day using Sunkist lemons.

That model has proven successful. Osterfeld’s vision for an upscale, quick-service dining experience focused on fresh ingredients and display-cooking (all meals are prepared in full view of the customer) was scaled into a franchising concept, which now boasts over 310 restaurants throughout 15 states.

Key to the concept is convenience. “Your workday lunch is short,” says franchise President Craig Dunaway. “You also want evening dining options that don’t necessarily involve waiting on a server or not being able to see how and when your dinner is being made in a hidden kitchen. At Penn Station, the entire meal is freshly made in full customer view. That means that customers don’t have to wonder when their food is coming out or if anything is being defrosted and presented as fresh.’”

While speed is prioritized, this isn’t fast food by any stretch. “It’s what we call fast casual,” Dunaway says. “The quality of our food is top-tier, and the order is taken right in front of customers, so there is no server memorizing or writing an order down and bringing it back to the kitchen. We’ve all had the experience of an order being lost in translation. Here, you order, you pay, you get your drink and get your meal. You don’t need to pay extra to have a server bring it to you.”

The menu is also crafted to keep customers coming back. “We know that in real life, people eat out a lot,” says Dunaway, “so we provide a simple yet diverse menu for a lunch and dinner experience that can be enjoyed multiple times a week while still retaining novelty and convenience.”