Amato's
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| Type | Private corporation |
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| Industry | Foodservice, Fast food |
| Founded | 1902 in Portland, Maine |
| Headquarters | Portland, Maine, United States |
| Key people | Dominic Reali, CEO |
| Products | Italian sandwich, pizza, pasta, salad |
| Website | www.amatos.com |
Amato's Sandwich Shops, Inc., is a chain of sandwich and pizza shops in northern New England, United States. Founded in 1902 by Giovanni Amato, Amato's owns and operates 12 stores. Recent expansion has been in the form of franchising, most notably in Irving Oil/Circle K locations in Maine and New Hampshire and Maplefield's locations in Vermont and New York. The company also cans its spaghetti and pizza sauces for sale in Hannaford supermarkets.
Amato's is best known for its Italian sandwich, called "the Real Italian," which it claims to have invented in 1902.[1]
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[edit] History
In 1902, Giovanni Amato and his wife opened a store on India Street in Portland, Maine. According to official literature, Amato's sandwiches contained ham, American cheese, and fresh vegetables, which the Italian immigrants along the waterfront seemed to enjoy. Amato named his sandwich the "Italian" in honor of his country and his people (not, as is widely believed, because of its ingredients).[2]
In 1972, Dominic Reali, an employee at the original Amato's on India Street, purchased the store from his boss. Under Reali, the company increased from one store to twelve, and began franchising. Reali also added Greek olives, sour pickles, and his own oil (a blend of olive and vegetable oil) to the famous Real Italian.
[edit] Amato's Xpress
In recent years, Amato's has allowed several franchises to operate under the name Amato's Xpress. These locations, found mostly in Irving Oil/Circle K convenience stores, sell Amato's pizza, pasta, salads, and sandwiches, but fewer specialty items. The Irving locations also have unique monthly specials while the others do not.[3] Amato's franchises in Vermont-based Maplefield's gas stations do not use the Amato's Xpress name.
Nearly all Amato's stores have dropped the Xpress moniker as of 2011.
