Al’s Italian Beef

Al’s Italian Beef is a Chicago-based quick-service restaurant brand centered on Italian beef sandwiches, sausages, and classic Chicago street food. The restaurants operate in a counter-service format geared to strong lunch and dinner traffic, with a mix of company-owned and franchised locations in the greater Chicago area and a small set of out-of-state units.

The concept began in 1938, when founder Al Ferreri started serving thinly sliced, seasoned roast beef sandwiches in Chicago’s Little Italy. The original stand at 1079 West Taylor Street became a neighborhood fixture and helped shape what many now recognize as Chicago-style Italian beef. Over time, the brand grew at a measured pace across the city, keeping a tight focus on its core menu of Italian beef, Italian sausage, hot dogs, fries, and related items while updating operations to match modern quick-service expectations.

A notable milestone in the brand’s evolution was the creation of a formal franchising program and the introduction of Al’s Beef frozen retail products. Italian beef kits and other branded items began appearing in select grocery channels and online, extending the brand beyond its restaurant walls and reinforcing its reputation with Chicago food fans across the country. National television exposure and strong showings in food rankings further elevated its profile, positioning Al’s as one of the signature names associated with Chicago beef sandwiches.

By the mid-2010s, Al’s Italian Beef had moved from a single-city favorite to a small regional player, with franchised locations in Arizona and Nevada complementing its Chicago base. As of August 2023, the chain operates approximately 12 locations across Illinois, Arizona, and Nevada. The footprint remains concentrated in core Chicago neighborhoods and nearby suburbs, supported by franchised restaurants in the Phoenix metro and Las Vegas areas.

Over roughly the last five years, growth has been steady but modest, with attention on maintaining key Chicago units, supporting select franchise operators, and building on the brand’s reach through retail products and media visibility rather than launching a large, multi-market rollout. New units have tended to follow existing brand awareness or Chicago ties, such as areas with strong tourism or a visible Chicago transplant population.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Al’s Italian Beef represents a long-established, recognizable Chicago name that trades well in compact, efficient spaces. Typical locations are in-line or end-cap restaurant spaces and small freestanding buildings that can support a fast-casual/quick-service setup, limited seating, and high volumes of takeout and third-party delivery. The brand’s measured expansion, franchise-friendly model, and durable local following create opportunities for infill sites in Chicago and targeted placements in markets like Phoenix and Las Vegas where a Chicago-themed offering can add character and traffic to neighborhood centers and high-visibility retail corridors.