Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, an acclaimed restaurant franchise that first opened its doors in 1976 in the Little Italy section of Wilmington, Delaware, with the goal of serving great sandwiches and capturing the hearts of turkey lovers is celebrating its 40th Anniversary throughout the month of June with its Celebrating Extraordinary 40 initiative and sweepstakes. Capriotti’s fans will have the opportunity to win a $40 gift card.
The first Capriotti’s opened without any aspirations of being anything more than a local hoagie shop where they slow-roasted whole turkeys in-house overnight. As its popularity grew, the founders’ friends and family began wanting to expand Capriotti’s in their respective areas, and as a result began franchising in 1987. After moving to Las Vegas in 1991, the founders opened a location in the city and began franchising locally after gaining a foothold in the region. The concept filled a void in the sandwich category with its fresh, homemade premium product and unique flavor profiles. In 2008, best friends and business partners Ashley Morris and Jason Smylie purchased Capriotti’s after being multiunit franchisees for three years, increasing the brand’s footprint from 42 units to more than 100 in 18 states and Washington, D.C.
“Capriotti’s growth and development over the last 40 years is attributed to the unending support of our dedicated fans across the country, says Ashley Morris, CEO of Capriotti’s. “With our top-quality, premium sandwiches, unique company culture and experience in franchising, Capriotti’s has come a long way since first opening our doors in 1976, and we look forward to continued success in the next 40 years.”
Throughout its growth, Capriotti’s has upheld the founder’s tradition of slow-roasting whole all-natural Butterball turkey’s in house and hand shredding them each morning to feature in their extraordinary signature subs and salads. Capriotti’s celebrated sandwiches include, The Bobbie, made with homemade turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo on a freshly -baked roll and the Capastrami, made with hot pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and coleslaw. The brand also features a wide array of salads, soups, and delicious vegetarian subs and sandwiches like the Veggie Cole Turkey, made with vegetarian turkey, Provolone cheese, coleslaw, and mayo topped with Russian dressing.
In 2015, Capriotti’s expanded its menu for the very first time since the brand’s inception to include CAPS 2.0, which allows guests to pair their favorite sandwich with a new line of premium salads and soups. In addition, beginning this month, Capriotti’s restaurants, in select markets, will feature their own craveable twist on breakfast sandwiches.
Capriotti’s is on track to open 16 restaurants in 2016, putting its year-end target at more than 110 locations. In 2017, they aim to open 35 locations and hope to be up to 50 restaurants a year by 2018. This year they have opened six locations in California, Delaware, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, and Nebraska. Additionally, there are currently locations in development in both new and existing markets such as Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Nevada, and Tennessee. Capriotti’s is also actively seeking franchise partners to help develop and grow the brand in Maryland, Northern Virginia, the Upper Midwest, and Pennsylvania.
