Capriotti's

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"Capriotti" redirects here; not to be confused with Caprotti.
Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants Franchising
GenreFast Casual
Founded1976; 49 years ago (1976)
Wilmington, Delaware, US
FoundersLois and Alan Margolet
HeadquartersLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Number of locations
160+[1]
Area served
United States
Key people
Ashley Morris (CEO)
Jason Smylie (CIO)
George Chanos (Chairman)
David Bloom (CDO/COO)
Brent D. Erwin (CFO)
Products
RevenueIncrease US$150 million (FEB 2021)[2]
Number of employees
About 1,000[2]
Websitewww.capriottis.com

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, Inc. (also called Capriotti's) is a fast casual restaurant chain in the United States.[3] The restaurant chain was founded in Wilmington, Delaware in 1976.[4] As of July 2025, Capriotti's has more than 175 company-owned and franchise locations in 33 states.[5][6]

History

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Capriotti's was founded in Little Italy, Wilmington, Delaware in 1976.[4][7][8] The restaurant is named after the founders' grandfather, Philip Capriotti.[4][9] In 1988, the second restaurant location opened in New Castle, Delaware. In 1991, Capriotti's began franchising their restaurants.[10]

Counter area of a Capriotti's in Rosslyn, Arlington, Virginia (now closed)

In 1993, the first restaurant location in Las Vegas, Nevada was opened on Sahara Avenue, near Las Vegas Boulevard.[11] In 2004, Ashley Morris and Jason Smylie opened a franchise in Las Vegas. At the time, Morris was the youngest financial adviser at Wells Fargo.[11][12][13][14] Smylie was a software engineer at Bechtel Nevada. Morris and Smylie were also investors in the housing market and made the decision to invest in a franchise after learning that the return on investment was higher than anything they were looking at investing in.[14] In 2007, Morris and Smylie put the company in escrow. In the following year Morris, Smylie and a group of investors consisting of 95% Las Vegans bought Capriotti's. Capriotti's had 44 restaurant locations by the end of 2008.[13] Morris is the CEO of the company.[13][14][15][16] In 2008 and 2009 the chain was the official sandwich sponsor of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.[17][18] Capriotti's was ranked in Entrepreneur magazine's top 500 franchise list in 2010 and remained ranked through 2014.[13]

Joe Biden at the opening of a Capriotti's in Washington, D.C., in 2013.

Capriotti's starred on Food Network's Unwrapped in December 2011.[19][20] In November 2013, Capriotti's expanded its presence on the East Coast by opening its first location in Washington DC.[21][22] Joe Biden was the first customer served at the store's grand opening.[22][23][24] That year, Capriotti's brought in over $58 million in revenue and experienced a 48% growth over the previous three years.[25] In 2014, the company was named one of the "Top 10 Best Food Franchises for Your Buck" and one of "America's Best Franchises" by Forbes magazine.[26][27]

The Sandelman & Associates Quick Track Study on the Top 10 Quick Service Restaurant Concepts ranked Capriotti's among the top ten in overall satisfaction[28] and won the award for highest quality and taste in the 2014 study.[29]

Business operations

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Capriotti's is now based in Las Vegas, Nevada and has its largest concentration of shops there. The restaurant chain has over 175 locations in 33 states including: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.[30][31][32][33] In 2014, it ranked #293 in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. In 2016, Capriotti's was ranked #264 in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500.[34] The chain expects to open 750 stores by 2032.[35]

Products

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Bobbies from Capriotti's

Capriotti's specializes in cold, grilled, and vegetarian hoagies or submarine sandwiches.[31] Each restaurant roasts whole turkeys for 12 hours nightly, hand pulls meats, and makes their own meatballs and coleslaw.[30][8][10]

In November 2009, the Bobbie, one of Capriotti's signature sandwiches, was voted "The Greatest Sandwich in America" by AOL.com.[36] The sandwich is a Thanksgiving sandwich made with pulled turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayonnaise.[36] The Margolets named it after their aunt.[37] In 2012, USA Today named Capriotti's one of the "10 Great Places for a Surprising Sandwich".[38]

Technology

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Capriotti has utilized Google Glass to re-record employee training videos in a first person view.[39] Management trainees also wear Google Glass during rush hour periods and review the footage for constructive visual feedback.[39][40] Capriotti's uses an app-based loyalty program.[41]

References

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  1. ^ https://www.ownacapriottis.com/
  2. ^ a b John Grossmann (January 28, 2015). "Using Smartphones and Apps to Enhance Loyalty Programs". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  3. ^ "Franchise Chatter Exclusive: Q&A Interview with Ashley Morris, CEO of Capriotti's". 16 November 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Capriotti's Sandwich Shop Inc". Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  5. ^ "Sandwich Franchise | Capriotti's Sandwich Shop". Capriotti's. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  6. ^ "Our Industry | Sandwich Shop Franchise Opportunity". Capriotti's. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  7. ^ Samara Kalk Derby (2010-05-20). "Capriotti's Sandwiches Stand Out Amid Competitors". The Capital Times & Wisconsin State Journal.
  8. ^ a b Lauren Jow (2014-01-22). "Las Vegas-based sandwich shop opens at The Market Place". The Orange County Register.
  9. ^ Jill Henebry (January 1995). "Talking turkey -- Capriotti's branches out". Delaware Business Review.
  10. ^ a b Lindsay Friedman (June 22, 2016). "Franchise of the Day: To Stand Out From Its Competitors, This Sandwich Shop Has an Extra Tasty Nightly Ritual". Entrepreneur. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Tovin Lapan (2012-04-10). "Capriotti's Bobbie collects yet another accolade; "Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" author tells USA Today that shop's turkey sub is among her favorites". Las Vegas Sun.
  12. ^ Tim O'Reiley (2011-03-21). "Heroes welcome? Well, not as envisioned". Las Vegas Business Press.
  13. ^ a b c d Tracy Stapp Herold (2013-10-18). "No Ordinary Hero". Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  14. ^ a b c Tracy Stapp Herold (2010-03-25). "No Ordinary Hero". Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  15. ^ Steven R. Thompson (2012-10-07). "Capriotti's plans growth". Dallas Business Journal.
  16. ^ Hannah Fry (2011-06-14). "Capriotti's Sandwich shops to invade Orange County". The Orange County Register.
  17. ^ Ryan Saxton. "Popular First State sandwich shop moving into Bethany". Archived from the original on 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  18. ^ "Capriotti's named World Series of Poker sandwich sponsor". 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  19. ^ "Capriotti's Unwrapped on Food Network". YouTube. 2011-12-06. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  20. ^ "MARKETPLACE: Capriotti's Sandwich Shop". 2012-01-29. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  21. ^ Josh Lederman (2013-11-21). "Joe Biden Welcomes Delaware-Born Sandwich Shop To D.C., Comes Up Short When Trying To Pay The Bill". HuffPost. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  22. ^ a b "Vice President Joe Biden Visits Capriotti's". January 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  23. ^ "Capriotti's Opens With Free Sandwiches, A Visit From Joe Biden". 2013-11-21. Archived from the original on 2013-11-24. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  24. ^ "Biden Borrows Money to Pay For Lunch at New D.C. Sandwich Shop". 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  25. ^ "Here's Why One CEO Always Wants To Be 'The Dumbest Guy In The Room'". September 17, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  26. ^ Emily Inverso (2014-05-27). "The 10 Best Food Franchises For Your Buck". Forbes. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  27. ^ "The Best and Worst Franchises In America". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  28. ^ "Panera, Chick-fil-A, Papa Murphy's receive Award of Excellence". Pizza Marketplace. February 11, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  29. ^ Renita D. Young (February 13, 2015). "Raising Cane's, CC's among top 10 Excellent Fast-Food Chains nationally". The Times Picayune. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  30. ^ a b Ethan Rothstein (2013-10-18). "Capriotti's Sandwich Shop Coming to Rosslyn". Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  31. ^ a b "Capriotti's Sandwich Shop Celebrates 100th Restaurant12-23-2013". Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  32. ^ Wil Fulton (June 17, 2016). "The Next Jimmy John's: Sandwich Chains That Could Take Over America". Thrillist. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  33. ^ Burgos, Annalisa; Hurd, Lili (2024-03-24). "Waipahu native brings Capriotti's Sandwich Shop from Ninth Island to Hawaii". hawaiinewsnow.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  34. ^ "Top Food Franchises of 2016". Entrepreneur. June 18, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  35. ^ "Capriotti's to expand in New Jersey with Marlton store opening". Verdict Food Service. 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  36. ^ a b "Capriotti's Sandwich Shop". Archived from the original on 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  37. ^ Cristina Perachio (2013-11-16). "You're Quite the Dish: The Bobbie at Capriotti's". Archived from the original on 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  38. ^ "Capriotti's Sandwich Shop Targets Houston For Major Expansion". Archived from the original on 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  39. ^ a b Nina Meijers (2013-08-01). "Google Glass for Restaurant Employee Training". Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  40. ^ "This Sandwich Shop's Special Ingredient? Google Glass". September 11, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  41. ^ Grossmann, John (January 28, 2015). "Using Smartphones and Apps to Enhance Loyalty Programs". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
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