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AL'S #1 ITALIAN BEEF FRANCHISE
STREET AND CULINARY CRED.
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BRAND.
ON-TREND SIGNATURE ITEM.

franchise with a street food legend
Al’s #1 Italian Beef is an iconic brand with three distinct advantages: street and culinary cred, national and international media coverage, and an on-trend signature item in the expanding casual/fast casual sector. Catapulted into popular culture by Hulu’s “The Bear,” the Italian Beef sandwich is a recognized item, and Al’s Beef offers a high-volume, small footprint, single-vent opportunity with a simple and proven menu.
The 85-year-old Al’s Beef brand is well-known for inventing the “national” sandwich of Chicago. Owner Chris Pacelli is widely recognized and engaged with on social media, and the food is Gen Z/Millennial friendly in that it’s all-natural, scratch-made and backed by an authentic family-owned business that captures the lore of 1930s Chicago.

TAP INTO THE POWER OF A
LEGENARY CULINARY BRAND
founded/segment
REVENUE STREAM/
DAY PARTS/FOOTPRINT
THINK BIG



Founded Chicago’s very
first beef stand in 1938/
slow cooked fast casual food
Dine-in, Delivery, Carry-out, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Late Night
1,000 — 2,500 SF restaurant
OUR STORY
Al’s #1 Italian Beef is Chicago’s original Italian Beef sandwich. The Founder’s grandfather (Anthony Ferreri) invented the sandwich in 1917 and distributed it at lower-budget (“Peanut”) weddings and by sandwich truck. Today, the recipe remains a well-guarded family secret.
Founder Al Ferreri opened Chicago’s first beef stand in 1938, which remained the only beef stand in Chicago for more than a decade. As you might guess, it was followed by countless imitators – yet still stands as city’s true original.
Al’s Beef has been recognized and celebrated by hundreds of prestigious food critics and media outlets, is beloved by leading chefs (Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro), and has been featured on The Today Show, in The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Esquire magazine, Chicago magazine, Food & Wine magazine, and many, many more.
With its simple menu and engaging origin story, Al’s Beef represents a chance for a new generation of fans to experience this legendary all-natural, slow-cooked regional sandwich at compact venues in major metro areas, at drive-through venues in suburban areas, in hotel lobbies, airports, on food trucks, and via third-party and in-house delivery.
From an execution standpoint, Al’s Beef franchises can utilize a hub-and-spoke commissary/satellite model. And while the cooking process is exacting, it does not require an elevated chef – and a single commissary kitchen at one location can service up to ten micro-footprint restaurants within a specified service area.
Backed by a legendary brand, an affordable price point for the guest, and a high profit margin for the owner, Al’s #1 Italian Beef is an amazing franchise opportunity.
