Geno's Steaks

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Daytime shot of Geno's
Daytime shot of Geno's
The signs on the front window
The signs on the front window
Geno's at night
Geno's at night
Portal:Philadelphia
 Philadelphia Portal

Geno's Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, founded in 1966 by Joe Vento.

Geno's is located in the South Philadelphia neighborhood at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, directly across the street from rival Pat's Steaks, which claims to have invented the steak sandwich in 1930. The cheesesteak has become a signature dish for the city of Philadelphia, with Geno's laying claim to being the first to put cheese on a steak sandwich.

Geno's has become well known for the large neon signs atop the establishment. There is no indoor seating for the public.

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, and the latter now works in the family business.

The walls, roof, and interior of Geno's are decorated with memorabilia and hundreds of autographed and framed photos of celebrities and obscure talents who have patronized the venue.

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 "Pat's" spinoff Rick's Steaks (operated by Rick Olivieri, grandson of Pat Olivieri, founder of Pat's). It was featured on the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like.

Vento is a prominent supporter of the family of murdered police officer Daniel Faulkner. The family supports the death sentence of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of Faulkner's murder, and is publicly opposes the movement for the retrial or exoneration of Abu-Jamal. Geno's has sponsored several fund-raising events in support of Faulkner's family, including the 2000 First Annual Justice For Daniel Faulkner Block Party and an annual Daniel Faulkner Memorial Motorcycle Run.

[edit] Trivia

  • In the 1991 Boyz II Men video MotownPhilly, Boyz II Men shoots a scene in front of Geno's.
  • A sign that has been up for years gained press noteriety in 2006, during the immigration controversy. The sign reads: "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING PLEASE 'SPEAK ENGLISH.'"[1] The Philadelphia's 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. 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'll 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? 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?

It is said that bad press is better than no press, and Vento, savvy businessman, took full advantage of the controversy surrounding the sticker. Playing off of the national press coverage, Vento revealed t-shirts stating the same message. He gave away many of these t-shirts, and some of the staff wear the t-shirts while working. They are still for sale. Vento admitted the coverage increased business.

One of two eating areas at Geno's.
One of two eating areas at Geno's.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gaiutra Bahadu (2006-05-30). An old struggle to adapt to a new country's ways. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.; Gaiutra Bahadu (2006-06-02). Editorial: Here's the latest word from Geno's. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.; both articles note that pointing at the menu item is not allowed; Patrick Walters (2006-06-08). English only at Philly cheesesteak joint. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2006-06-08. (includes use of caps in sign); David Zucchino (2006-06-14). An English-Only Beef in a Cheesesteak Joint? Comin' Right Up. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2006-06-14. (includes picture of sign)
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