Tony Luke, Jr. Part 2: The Rise and Fall of a Cheesesteak Empire
Philly Who?
English - April 30, 2019 14:00 - 59 minutes - ★★★★★ - 92 ratingsSociety & Culture philly philadelphia entrepreneur innovator stories Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Tony Luke, Jr. is a cofounder of Tony Luke's, a cheesesteak franchise with multiple locations. He's also an actor, TV personality, musician, and an anti-addiction-stigma activist.
In this Part 2 of a 2-episode series, you’ll hear how a small sandwich shop on a random corner in South Philly - that didn’t even sell cheesesteaks when it first opened - became the Philly cheesesteak sensation of the 90s. Tony, Jr. would take the momentum of a few press pieces and parlay it into viral TV commercials, multiple franchise locations, and a life of a TV and food celebrity.
But, the highest of highs would soon become the lowest of lows. Tony’s family would have a falling out about the direction of the franchise, which would be followed by a devastating lawsuit, the end of Tony’s TV show, and the heart-wrenching accidental overdose death of his son, Tony Lucidonio III.
Tony, Jr. now serves as an anti-addiction-stigma activist, educating and guiding addicts and their families towards better times.
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Tony Luke, Jr. is a cofounder of Tony Luke's, a cheesesteak franchise with multiple locations. He's also an actor, TV personality, musician, and an anti-addiction-stigma activist.
In this Part 2 of a 2-episode series, you’ll hear how a small sandwich shop on a random corner in South Philly - that didn’t even sell cheesesteaks when it first opened - became the Philly cheesesteak sensation of the 90s. Tony, Jr. would take the momentum of a few press pieces and parlay it into viral TV commercials, multiple franchise locations, and a life of a TV and food celebrity.
But, the highest of highs would soon become the lowest of lows. Tony’s family would have a falling out about the direction of the franchise, which would be followed by a devastating lawsuit, the end of Tony’s TV show, and the heart-wrenching accidental overdose death of his son, Tony Lucidonio III.
Tony, Jr. now serves as an anti-addiction-stigma activist, educating and guiding addicts and their families towards better times.
Support Philly Who?
Venmo: @podphillywho,