J.P. Graziano Grocery Co.

What J.P. Graziano Grocery Co. does

J.P. Graziano Grocery Co. is a fourth-generation, family-owned Italian grocery and sandwich shop operating since 1937 at 901 W Randolph St in Chicago's West Loop, currently run by fourth-generation owner Jim Graziano. The original wholesale grocery business, established by Sicilian founder Vincenzo Graziano, was pivoted in 2007 when Jim Graziano opened a sub shop inside the store, shifting the company's center of gravity from wholesale distribution to made-to-order retail sandwiches. The signature Mr. G sub — named after Jim's late father — combines imported Italian meats (prosciutto di Parma, Genoa salami, hot sopressata, mortadella, hot capicola, hard salami), provolone, truffle mustard, balsamic vinaigrette, marinated artichokes, and house-made giardiniera, with meats sliced to order seconds before assembly using a slicer calibrated per meat type.

The business sells Italian sandwiches (most under $10), imported Italian groceries (cheeses, olives, olive oils, spices, beans), antipasti trays, Italian desserts (cannoli, biscotti, gelato), house-made giardiniera ($8.50/jar), beef kit gift boxes, and branded merchandise. Distribution channels include a single physical storefront with patio seating and a Thursday-Saturday late-night window, an own-website order-online flow for pickup and delivery, third-party delivery (Grubhub, Caviar, DoorDash), non-perishable shipping within the contiguous 48 states, and direct catering for office luncheons and events. The bread is sourced from D'Amato's Bakery, and a 2021 collaboration with Barstool Sports produced a co-branded beef kit gift box. Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct-to-consumer transactions across walk-in, pickup, delivery, shipping, and catering; the company is privately held with no outside funding rounds disclosed. The shop produces hundreds of sandwiches daily and has been cited as the best deli in Illinois by Food Network (2021), a top U.S. sandwich shop by Food & Wine (2025), and a TimeOut Chicago essential (2025).

Name

J.P. Graziano Grocery Co.

Legal name

J.P. Graziano Grocery Co., Inc.

Website

https://jpgraziano.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

J.P. Graziano Grocery Co. is a fourth-generation, family-owned Italian deli and grocery in Chicago's West Loop, founded in 1937, serving made-to-order Italian sandwiches (notably the Mr. G), house-made giardiniera, imported Italian provisions, antipasti trays, and catering to local office workers, food enthusiasts, and event planners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Italian Deli and Grocery

NAICS

All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Delis & Sandwich Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mediterranean/Greek/Italian/Spanish Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAJ), Ethnic Grocery + Butcher/Bakery/Hot Bar (Integrated Service Counters) (CRAHAFAM)

Keywords

• Italian deli sandwiches
• Italian grocery store
• House-made giardiniera
• Lunch catering services
• Imported Italian foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sandwich and Food Sales: On-site sandwich sales (Italian subs, Mr. G signature sandwich), seasonal salads, homestyle soups, desserts (cannoli, biscotti), and imported Italian groceries (cheeses, olives, olive oils, spices, beans).
2. Catering Services: Lunch catering for offices, business luncheons, office parties, and special events with take-out orders.
3. Specialty Food Products: Sale of branded merchandise including beef kits, house-made giardiniera (hot and mild), and branded merchandise like T-shirts.
4. Collaborative Merchandise: Partnership merchandise such as Barstool Chicago X J.P. Graziano Beef Kit Gift Box.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

J.P. Graziano Grocery Co. is a fourth-generation, family-owned Italian deli and grocery store in Chicago's West Loop that sells made-to-order Italian submarine sandwiches (with the signature Mr. G sub as its flagship), house-made giardiniera, imported Italian specialty groceries (cheeses, olives, olive oils, spices), antipasti trays, Italian desserts, and beef kits. The shop also provides lunch catering for offices and events in the 60601/60602 zip code area and ships non-perishable products within the contiguous 48 states.

Product overview

J.P. Graziano Grocery Co. is a fourth-generation family-owned Italian deli and grocery store operating since 1937. The company operates a sub shop opened in 2007 that serves as its primary product line, offering made-to-order Italian sandwiches (the Mr. G being the signature offering), house-made giardiniera, imported Italian grocery items, antipasti trays, desserts, and catering services. The business also sells beef kits and branded merchandise. The core offering is the sandwich shop which is integrated with their traditional Italian grocery inventory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Made-to-Order Italian Sandwiches (Subs)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of sandwiches made daily with lines stretching out the door
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Barstool SportsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 August 2021Following the launch of the Barstool Chicago X J.P. Graziano Beef Kit Gift Box, Jim Graziano appeared on the Barstool Sports Sandwich Draft podcast to discuss whether a hamburger is a sandwich. This was a collaborative merchandise and marketing partnership featuring a co-branded beef kit gift box.
• D'Amato's BakerycoreOthersD'Amato's Bakery supplies the Italian bread used for J.P. Graziano's sandwiches. The bread comes from this local Chicago bakery known for quality Italian bread.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Johnnie's Beef: Chicago Italian beef institution with a cult following and national recognition; directly comparable as a Chicago Italian sandwich specialist targeting lunch and catering customers in the same competitive set.
• Mr. Beef and Pizza: Historic Chicago Italian beef shop on Orleans; comparable as a family-operated Chicago Italian sandwich specialist with a strong cult following and similar single-category, neighborhood-focused model.
• Capriotti's Sandwich Shop: Specialty sub chain with a strong cult following and shipped product line; comparable as a single-category sandwich specialist that has scaled via franchising while preserving a craft/premium positioning similar to J.P. Graziano's house-made approach.
• Al's Beef: Iconic Chicago Italian beef sandwich shop with multiple locations; competes directly for the same Italian sandwich lunch customer in Chicago and shares the heritage, single-category focus, and Chicago Italian food pedigree with J.P. Graziano.

Broad incumbents

• Jersey Mike's Subs: Large national sub chain with made-to-order preparation positioning and catering services; overlaps with J.P. Graziano on made-to-order sub assembly and lunch catering, though at vastly different scale.
• Giordano's: Iconic Chicago deep-dish pizza and Italian restaurant chain with catering; comparable as a Chicago Italian food heritage brand offering lunch catering and Italian menu items at greater scale.
• Portillo's: Major Chicago-based Italian food chain (Italian beef, hot dogs, salads, catering) operating across multiple states; comparable as a broader Chicago Italian food incumbent with overlapping lunch, catering, and packaged retail merchandise.
• Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Chicago-born sandwich chain with multi-state footprint and catering operations; comparable as a larger, scaled Chicago sandwich operator competing for lunch and catering share with broader hours and location count.
• Jimmy John's: National sandwich chain headquartered in Champaign, IL, with strong presence in Chicago; competes for the same lunch customer with delivery and catering but operates at chain scale rather than heritage craft positioning.
• Eataly: Italian food hall concept combining retail groceries, prepared foods, and restaurants; comparable in combining an Italian specialty grocery assortment with made-to-order Italian sandwiches and a sit-down dining experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JPGrazianoGroceryCo
• Instagraminstagram.com/jpgraziano
• TikToktiktok.com/@jpgraziano
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/j.-p.-graziano-grocery-co.-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about J.P. Graziano Grocery Co.