The Buona Companies, owner and operator of the famous Chicago-based restaurant chain, is adding two twists to their Original Italian Beef Sandwich recipe – the Cheesy and the Saucy. Both sandwiches will be available at all 26 Buona locations as of February 28th and will be permanent menu items alongside other Buona favorites, including the Chicago Original Italian Beef Sandwich, the char-grilled burgers, fresh pastas, handmade pizzas and unique chicken sandwiches.
Both the Cheesy and the Saucy were designed to add some new fun flavor to Chicago food staples. The Cheesy, for instance, starts with a base of gourmet pub cheese spread before adding two layers of shredded cheddar cheese and two layers of Italian Beef. The gourmet pub cheese, which is a new menu item, adds a super sharp, tangy quality that compliments the authentic Italian recipe Buona uses for their beef. By layering the ingredients, Buona ensures customers get the perfect cheesy bite, every time. The Saucy also introduces a new menu item – provolone cheese – and layers that with Italian Beef, melted mozzarella cheese, and a housemade marinara sauce (another family recipe!).
These new additions to the menu are just another example of Buona’s commitment to menu innovations. Similar to when Buona added their Plant-Based Italian Beefless Sandwich to cater to the vegan community, the two new sandwiches give Buona the opportunity to expand their offering to new audiences while exploring innovative flavor profiles for the classic Buona Italian Beef Sandwich.
“Everything we do at Buona is focused on the concept of family and community,” says Don Buonavolanto, founding brother. “In the most basic sense, we’re family owned and operated – even after 40 years in business. But it’s more than that for us; every decision we make is about finding new ways to give the communities we serve a better Buona experience. When a family walks into one of our restaurants – we want each person to find something on our menu they love. And despite our growth, our focus is still on finding new ways to bring our family recipes to yours; which is also why so many of the menu items – including both the Saucy and the Cheesy – feature Buona family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. The Saucy and the Cheesy are both trendy twists on the classic Italian Beef sandwich that’s been around for years; so we’re excited to see what our customers think – but I’m confident that both of these sandwiches will continue to give our customers their best bite, every time.”
