Geno's Steaks
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Geno's Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, founded in 1966 by Joey Vento. Geno's is located in South Philadelphia at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, directly across the street from rival Pat's King of Steaks, which is generally credited with having invented the cheesesteak in 1933.<ref name="Harry's Obit">Template:Cite news</ref> The cheesesteak has since become a signature dish for Philadelphia.
The restaurant is known for its distinctive appearance, featuring hundreds of bright neon lights and signs that illuminate the corner of 9th and Passyunk.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The establishment operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and serves an estimated 30,000 sandwiches per month.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Under Geno Vento's leadership, the restaurant underwent a significant renovation in 2016, its first major update in 50 years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The renovation included expanded outdoor seating, updated ordering windows, and new interior designs while maintaining the iconic exterior appearance. The restaurant has been featured in numerous television shows, including appearances on The Tonight Show, Food Network, and Travel Channel programs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Like its rival Pat's, Geno's is known for its specific ordering procedure, where customers are expected to order quickly and with precise terminology: specifying the type of cheese (including "wit" or "witout" onions) and following a particular sequence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
History
20th century
Owner Joey Vento (December 18, 1939 – August 23, 2011) started a small grill venue at 9th and Passyunk in 1966, starting a longtime rivalry that is ongoing with Pat's King of Steaks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Vento, a third generation Italian American, was born in Philadelphia to Eva and James Vento. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade to assist his father in running a restaurant.<ref name="NYTimes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Vento came from a family of sandwich makers; his grandfather operated a sandwich shop in the Italian Market in the 1920s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Before opening Geno's, Vento worked various jobs including dishwasher and meat truck driver, saving $2,000 to open his own steakshop at age 23.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
According to Vento, the name 'Geno's' was chosen because 'Joe's Steak Place' was already in business. He improvised the name from a broken door on which someone had painted 'GINO' and modified the spelling to prevent confusion with a regional fast food chain called Gino's. Vento later named his own son Geno, born in 1971.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Geno's was featured in the background of the music video of the 1991 single Motownphilly by the music group Boyz II Men.
21st century
Geno's was awarded Best of Philly for Best Takeout by Philadelphia Magazine in 2000. In April 2004, a branch of the shop opened in Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. This location was closed in 2006 and replaced with Rick's Steaks (operated by Rick Olivieri, grandson of Pat Olivieri, founder of Pat's King of Steaks).
On August 23, 2011, 71-year-old owner and founder Joey Vento died of a heart attack at his home in Shamong Township, New Jersey, at the age of 71.<ref name="NYTimes" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ownership of Geno's Steak was passed to his son Geno, whom he named after the restaurant.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Geno's Steaks has branch locations at Terminal B of Philadelphia International Airport<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and at Rivers Casino Philadelphia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On September 20, 2015, Geno's Steaks opened a location at Stateside Live!.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Description
Geno's menu is very similar to that of Pat's. Geno's does not chop the meat while Pat's does.<ref name="steakparadise">Template:Cite video</ref> Geno's claims to have sold up to 4,500 sandwiches daily.<ref name="steakparadise"/>
The walls, roof, and interior of Geno's are decorated with memorabilia and hundreds of autographed and framed photos of celebrities who have eaten there.
Geno's serves cheesesteak without chopping the steak<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Vento believed provolone is the preferred cheese to be added.<ref name="poll">Template:Cite news</ref>
English sign controversy and supposed discrimination against Mexican immigrants
In June 2006, a sign on Geno's window gained press notoriety during a national controversy over immigration.<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref> The sign reads: "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING Please "SPEAK ENGLISH"."<ref>Sign at Geno's Steaks.</ref> The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations filed a discrimination complaint, arguing that Geno's violated the city's Fair Practices Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination in public accommodation, by "denying service to someone because of his or her national origin, and having printed material making certain groups of people feel their patronage is unwelcome."<ref name="Bulletin">DeHuff, Jenny, The Bulletin, 26 September 2007. "Hearing Postponed For Controversial Geno's Sign" Template:Webarchive. Accessed 28 November 2007.</ref> Vento had previously said the signs are directed at the Mexican immigrants in the surrounding neighborhood.<ref>Campisi, Gloria, Philadelphia Daily News, 10 June 2006, "Free speech at steak."</ref>
Vento said that no one has been refused service for not speaking English, but said, "If I can't understand you, you might not get the sandwich you thought you ordered."<ref name="Bulletin"/> Locals of eastern Asian and Latin American descent have spoke of times where they have been refused service for ordering with an accent.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations found probable cause that the sign is discriminatory. The commission says the sign could make non-English speakers feel unwelcome or discriminated against.<ref name="cause">Maykuth, Andrew, Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 February 2007 "Stakes get higher for Geno's".</ref>
Vento enlisted the aid of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a public-interest legal organization.<ref name="cause"/> In 2006, the Foundation had defended a bar owner cited by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission for a sign reading "For Service, Speak English." That case was settled when the owner removed the sign.<ref>Maykuth, Andrew, Philadelphia Inquirer, 8 February 2007, "City Commission: Geno’s 'speak English' sign discriminatory".</ref>
Responding in an interview with Fox News analyst Neil Cavuto, Vento stated that he does not turn away any customer, and therefore does not discriminate. He also vowed to keep his sign displayed no matter how much pressure he receives. He explained to Cavuto that his parents had to learn English when they came to the U.S. He said that if his customers order in any other language, he will give them Cheez Whiz on bread. Vento posed some rhetorical questions: "If one goes into a Puerto Rican neighborhood, how many signs would be seen in English?" and "When one is on the telephone, it may say press 1 for English, press 2 for Spanish; but where is the number for, say, Italian or Korean?"<ref>Owner of Geno's Cheesesteaks Responds to Bias Complaint, Fox News, 15 June 2006.</ref>
On March 19, 2008, Philadelphia's Commission on Human Relations ruled that the restaurant did not violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The sign was quietly removed at some point before the 2016 Democratic National Convention to avoid offense.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See also
References
External links
- Geno's steaks website
- Whitford, David. "DRINKS WITH: FRANK OLIVIERI AND JOE VENTO Sandwich Superheroes" (Archive). Fortune. Thursday, May 29, 2003.
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