Family-owned Italian delis in California have significantly declined, with many traditional stores now rare. Piemonte's Italian Delicatessen, established in the late 1920s by Lawrence 'Gino' Porasso in Fresno, illustrates this trend. Originally started as a butcher shop, it transitioned to a deli format by the mid-1960s, becoming a local staple in a vibrant neighborhood. The deli is renowned not only for traditional Italian offerings like specialty sausages and lasagnas but is especially famous for its signature sandwich, the Piemonte, which captures the essence of Italian deli cuisine.
Piemonte's started by Lawrence 'Gino' Porasso, who emigrated to the U.S. and opened a butcher shop and deli in downtown Fresno in the late 1920s.
By the mid-1960s, Piemonte's switched from a butcher shop to a deli, becoming a staple in Fresno's Olive Avenue neighborhood.
Piemonte's has developed a signature item known as 'the Piemonte' sandwich, which has become synonymous with quality Italian deli fare.
The long-tenured family-owned Italian deli model relied on symbiotic relationships with growers and vendors long before the trend became corporate.
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