For nearly four decades, Alidoro has built its reputation one carefully constructed Italian sandwich at a time. Founded in SoHo in 1986, the New York institution has evolved from a tiny neighborhood shop into a growing premium quick-service brand with locations at some of the city’s most recognizable destinations, including Rockefeller Center, Moynihan Train Hall, JFK Airport, One Madison Avenue, and the Empire State Building.
Total Food Service wanted to share CEO Jon Streep’s story because Alidoro offers restaurant and foodservice professionals a compelling case study in how to scale a beloved concept without stripping away the personality, craftsmanship, and authenticity that made it successful. Streep entered the restaurant industry without a traditional foodservice background, drawing instead on experience in public relations, real estate development, digital media, branding, and negotiation.
That unconventional path has shaped his approach to everything from site selection and restaurant design to equipment, menu development, catering, licensing, technology, and customer experience. In this conversation, Streep explains why process can be even more important than ingredients, how strategic real estate has fueled Alidoro’s growth, and why operators must listen to experienced mentors while still trusting their own instincts.
Your career began outside the restaurant industry. How did that background lead you to Alidoro?
I started in public relations, eventually running events for a large entertainment PR firm, then moved into boutique real estate development in Brooklyn and digital media.
Around 30, I reached a crossroads and, against almost everyone’s advice, entered the restaurant business without direct experience. Each part of that background now informs my work: PR and marketing support a brand-forward company; real estate taught me about sites, leases, construction, and negotiations; and digital media shaped how I view technology and customer engagement.
Coming from outside the industry also made me willing to ask, ‘Why can’t we do that?’ More experienced people sometimes inherit assumptions about how a restaurant must operate. I had not been trained to accept those limitations, so I trusted my instincts, challenged established thinking, and approached problems through the combined lenses of branding, real estate, technology, and customer behavior.
How did you become involved with Alidoro and recognize its growth potential?
I had been a fan since the early 2000s. Walter Momente had taken over the original SoHo shop from Alessandro, the Italian immigrant who created the concept. I knew Walter for years, and in 2012 I told him I believed Alidoro could become a global brand.
The experience was unforgettable: the ingredient combinations, sandwich construction, and personality were unlike a typical sandwich shop. Rather than simply buying the business, I partnered with Walter, gave him meaningful equity, and assumed responsibility for expansion, infrastructure, branding, real estate, and
operations.
Walter still operates the original SoHo location, which licenses its intellectual property from the larger company. That unusual structure protects the identity of the original shop while allowing us to develop Alidoro in new environments.
How do you protect Alidoro’s authenticity as the company adds locations?
Authenticity does not require every restaurant to look identical. An Empire State Building location should respond to its Art Deco history, while Rockefeller Center, One Madison Avenue, Moynihan Train Hall, and an airport terminal each have different customers and physical conditions. Every Alidoro should belong to the same family, but each can have its own identity shaped by the building, neighborhood, and audience. That individuality makes a location feel genuine rather than standardized.
Founded in 1986 in the heart of SoHo, Alidoro has become one of New York City’s most celebrated Italian sandwich shops – known for meticulous craftsmanship, uncompromising ingredients, and a following that spans generations. (Photo by Daniel Kwak)
We have worked with several designers, and today Bolt Builds, led by architect Matt Dennis, provides an almost vertically integrated approach to design, construction, and execution. That creates accountability and a shared understanding of the vision; I expect the Empire State Building location to be one of our strongest build-outs.
How does kitchen design support Alidoro’s operating model?
The operation appears simple only because the right systems, equipment, and processes are in place. We have adaptable kitchen schematics and have worked with Sam Tell and Jerry Kouveras on equipment sourcing. For roughly Alidoro’s first 25 years, the company did not serve hot sandwiches, which worked in a 250-square-foot SoHo shop but became limiting as we scaled, especially during New York winters.
Panini grills could not provide enough throughput, so we moved to TurboChef equipment, improving speed, consistency, efficiency, and venting flexibility. The onboard venting is especially useful where traditional ventilation is difficult or expensive. The broader lesson is that equipment must deliver the culinary promise at peak volume. Our commitment to Bizerba slicers from the very beginning has given us that consistency. A great product will not scale if the kitchen cannot produce it consistently and quickly, regardless of how strong it tastes during a quiet test.
What are the most important operational components behind an Alidoro sandwich?
Process comes first. Layering is highly specific: prosciutto and soppressata require different slicing densities; folding meat creates air; and the placement of arugula, cheese, dressing, and spreads affects every bite. Ten chefs using the same ingredients can produce ten different results, so technique and construction matter. Ingredient quality comes next; thoughtfully sourced meats, cheeses, bread, produce, and other components still must be handled correctly.
Each Alidoro sandwich is made fresh daily with thoughtfully sourced Italian meats, cheeses, and house-made spreads – honoring tradition while adding a distinct New York edge. From their prosciutto sliced to order to their black-garlic mustard and truffle cream, every recipe is engineered for balance, flavor, and nostalgia in every bite. A sampling includes (from top to bottom): Gothamist, and Pinocchio (Photos by Curtis Gallon)
The third element is our proprietary dressings, toppings, peppers, and spreads, which create an unmistakable flavor profile. As we grew, making those items independently in every restaurant became inconsistent. We spent years developing a dedicated manufacturing partnership and refused to accept products that merely came close. Today, the results match the original recipes and are, in some ways, better because the consistency is so precise.
How do you balance Alidoro’s Italian heritage with its identity as a New York brand?
Alidoro is deeply informed by Italian and European sandwich traditions, but it is also thoroughly New York. The original concept was created here by an Italian immigrant, so both influences are part of its DNA.
We respect traditional ingredients and methods while adding New York creativity, energy, and edge. The Au Soleil, one of our strongest sellers, combines hot soppressata, truffle cream, mozzarella, hot pepper jam, and arugula. The Gothamist began as a one-month collaboration featuring lemon pesto and burrata; more than a decade later, it remains a top seller. The goal is to understand the fundamentals, honor the heritage, and then let New York creativity push the product somewhere new.
What role do limited-time offers and collaborations play in the business?
They create excitement, introduce Alidoro to new audiences, and let us test products without immediately committing to a permanent menu item. We have worked with brands including Mike’s Hot Honey and Grillo’s Pickles, including a FIFA-related activation at Rockefeller Center and a second consecutive Grillo’s
collaboration.
Interiors from Alidoro’s One Madison Avenue location in New York City (Photos by Daniel Kwak)
The best partnerships have genuine alignment: the product, personality, or audience must make sense for Alidoro, and the sandwich still has to be something we would proudly serve without the partner’s name. I historically drove much of the culinary ideation, but our senior team now handles more research and development. COO Alex Muñoz, my right hand for more than eight years, spearheads many projects.
Eventually, we will need a culinary director. Growth requires founders to build a team that can translate and expand their vision rather than allowing every decision to depend on one person.
Why has real estate played such a central role in Alidoro’s expansion?
A mentor told me early that real estate would be the most important decision I made: even a great product and strong operator cannot overcome the wrong site. We now operate in major New York properties and transportation destinations, including Rockefeller Center, Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall, One Madison Avenue, the Empire State Building, and JFK Airport. I do not accept a space simply because it is offered. Both the location and economics must work, and negotiations can take years; Moynihan took nearly five.
A strong lease combines rent, tenant-improvement contributions, percentage rent, construction responsibilities, duration, and risk. Tenant-improvement funding matters because landlords recognize that a strong food-and-beverage brand creates activity, serves tenants and visitors, and adds value to the property. Our brand recognition has helped landlords become willing to invest alongside us. Patience is essential: a bad deal in a prestigious building is still a bad deal, and operators must wait until both the site and lease structure support long-term success.
How does the customer experience change between traditional stores, transit hubs, and airports?
The experience must adapt without losing the brand. In an airport, many travelers may not know Alidoro, so a recognizable entry point, such as our interpretation of ham and cheese, can make the menu accessible while remaining distinctly ours. Transit hubs require fresh, clearly presented grab-and-go products that customers can purchase quickly.
We are also speaking with major airlines. An onboard sandwich would need to be designed around different packaging, holding, temperature, space, and service requirements; the restaurant product cannot simply be placed on an airplane unchanged. The broader opportunity is the premium sandwich category. Upscale quick service has built major brands around burgers, tacos, salads, and bowls, while premium sandwiches remain underdeveloped. We believe Alidoro can fill that white space.
What is your vision for licensing, franchising, and expansion outside New York?
The future will likely combine company-owned locations, licensing, and potentially franchising. We completed our first airport licensing agreement with M&R at JFK Terminal 8 and are also working with the group on Terminal 6. The model is straightforward when operators follow the blueprint, but even a simple operation becomes difficult when procedures, specifications, or training are ignored. We are perfecting the system before deciding whether to franchise and are speaking with several major airport and hospitality operators about future opportunities.
Eventually, I expect a larger strategic or financial partner and expansion into additional markets. However, we remain below 10 units, and I do not think a company fully understands its scalable model until perhaps 15 or 20 locations. We have learned that Alidoro is not dinner-driven and that airline foodservice may emerge sooner than expected. Growth should remain ambitious, flexible, and intentional rather than focused on an arbitrary unit count.
Each Alidoro sandwich is made fresh daily with thoughtfully sourced Italian meats, cheeses, and house-made spreads – honoring tradition while adding a distinct New York edge. From their prosciutto sliced to order to their black-garlic mustard and truffle cream, every recipe is engineered for balance, flavor, and nostalgia in every bite. A sampling includes (from top to bottom): Alidoro, and Fratelli (Photos by Curtis Gallon)
How are catering, sales, delivery, and technology shaping Alidoro’s next stage?
Catering represents about 30 percent of the business, historically almost entirely inbound, despite having no dedicated sales department. That success also revealed how much opportunity we were leaving untouched. We hired Colin Hansel Murphy, formerly with Joe & The Juice, as Director of Sales to pursue Wall Street firms, trading floors, corporations, offices, events, and institutional partners, while also supporting advertising, limited-time offers, partnerships, and other growth initiatives.
Technology is another major investment. For more than a decade, customers supported us despite an outdated website and a catering process built around a form that simply promised a phone call. We are rebuilding the website, catering platform, third-party delivery systems, and customer-facing tools with support from Figure Eight and Dyne Technology. Delivery platforms provide convenience but create issues around fees, data, and customer control. The answer is a balanced system that remains easy for customers while strengthening Alidoro’s direct relationship with them.
You have discussed creating a listening-room-inspired atmosphere. Why is music important to the Alidoro experience?
From the beginning, I wanted Alidoro to engage more than taste. At the first location I developed, I put an oven in the front primarily to create the aroma of butter and freshly baked croissants, evoking a Sunday morning or an Italian café. Music works similarly. I am an audiophile, and I want guests to hear something Italian, New York, unexpected, and cool while they wait. Hearing Biggie in an Italian sandwich shop signals that this is not a generic restaurant. Most locations have limited seating, so the goal is not to keep guests for hours; music enriches the five or ten minutes they spend ordering and waiting. Customer experience is the combined effect of the prosciutto, bread, aroma, music, design, service, speed, packaging, and energy, and every element must keep improving.
What is the most important lesson other restaurant operators can take from your experience?
Trust your instincts. That does not mean ignoring experienced operators or assuming you know everything. I respect leaders such as Danny Meyer and companies including Union Square Hospitality Group and Hillstone; operators should study great businesses and listen to mentors. But outside noise and competitive analysis cannot consume your attention. I spend roughly 3 percent of my time studying competitors and 97 percent on our own product, experience, and opportunities. Alidoro has often been under-resourced and undercapitalized, but we kept moving, made mistakes, adjusted the model, and learned what we are and are not. Listen to good advice without surrendering your point of view. Follow the fundamentals, surround yourself with talented people, remain willing to evolve, and trust your gut enough to create your own path.
All photos courtesy of Alidoro
Dining and Cooking