Photo by Doug Trattner
Since purchasing Original Steaks & Hoagies from founder Bill "Billy from Philly" Fromholzer in 2017, Jeff Wiseman has been on a mission to expand the brand throughout the region.
For the first seven years of the company’s existence, Twinsburg was the only place a steak lover could sink his or her teeth into an authentic Philly cheesesteak. Then, seemingly overnight, Original Steaks & Hoagies shops began opening in places like Fairlawn, Canton, Lorain and Medina, not to mention an ever-expanding fleet of food trucks.
The next pin on the map is Parma, specifically the Tri-City Shopping Center at the intersection of Broadview and W. Sprague, where franchisee Keith Keger recently opened the newest Original Steaks & Hoagies location.
Wiseman attributes the success of Original Steaks to – no surprise – the quality of the sandwiches.
“A true original Philly starts with two main things,” he says. “Obviously the meat; you have to have the hand-shaved ribeye. And the bun; you have to use Amoroso rolls. Nobody around carries the rolls, but we are adamant about using the Amoroso roll because that gives you the authentic sandwich.”
That ribeye gets chip-chopped on a hot griddle along with onions. Cheese – Whiz or provolone – is added before the whole blessed affair is transferred into a roll from Amoroso Bakery.
Under Wiseman, the menu at Original Steaks has grown from just a handful of cheesesteaks and hoagies to more than two dozen sandwiches starring steak, chicken and deli meats. There is even a vegetarian version of the classic made with cauliflower. In modern fast-casual fashion, those items can now be ordered on a roll, in a wrap or as part of a bowl. Fresh-cut fries are now joined by house-made tater tots stuffed with Cheez Whiz.
The dining experience has matured as well. Compared to the original 1,100-square-foot Twinsburg shop, the newer locations are bigger, more comfortable and more efficiently laid out. Draft and bottled beer are both available.
