Established 1992 Dress code Casual | Current owner(s) Anthony Lucidonio Jr. Street address 39 East Oregon Avenue | |
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Slogan The Real Taste of South Philly Food type Cheesesteaks, Italian roast pork, and other sandwiches | ||
Tony Luke's is a cheesesteak restaurant that was founded in 1992 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.
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History
In the early 1990s Luke, Jr., his father and his brother, Nicky, bought a property near the expressway in South Philadelphia. The restaurant opened on February 3, 1992. The restaurant did not initially serve cheesesteaks until six months after opening due to popular demand. 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.
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.
Awards
In 1998 GQ magazine cited Tony Luke's as one of the Golden Dishes for the year.
Business ventures
In 2008 Tony Luke expanded his franchise to frozen cheesesteaks and pork products known as Tony Luke's Pronto.
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. Tony Luke's was featured on the Travel Channel's 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. 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. The restaurant was also featured on Food Wars (hosted by Camille Ford), going head-to-head with Pat's King of Steaks in a battle for best cheesesteak in Philadelphia, with Pat's beating out Tony Luke's in the competition.