Primanti Brothers Restaurant and Bar is famed for its overstuffed sandwiches loaded with meats and cheeses, as well as less conventional toppings like coleslaw and french fries.
But if you’ve never set foot in one of the Pittsburgh-based sub shop’s restaurants, you might not know about another one of its traditions: a mural in each store highlighting notable local figures, from athletes to movie stars to news anchors.
As Primanti Bros. prepares to open its first Baltimore-area location in Linthicum on Wednesday, the restaurant is putting a Charm City twist on its wall art. The mural features hometown celebrities like baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, ballpark beer vendor Fancy Clancy and filmmaker John Waters. Local landmarks like the National Aquarium and the Domino Sugars sign make an appearance, as well. So does former Ravens kicker Matt Stover — but we’re puzzled as to why one of the team’s all-time leading scorers appears in a Colts uniform. (Primanti confirmed that it is indeed Stover.)
The murals have become a “signature piece” for the sandwich chain, which first opened in Pittsburgh’s Strip District in 1933, said Ryan Wilkinson, vice president of marketing for Primanti Bros.
Wilkinson can’t say for sure when the original mural was painted, but it’s been a fixture at the flagship restaurant for several decades at least. The wall art, updated several times over the years, features Pittsburgh industrial titans like Andrew Carnegie and H.J. Heinz, athletes such as Arnold Palmer and Roberto Clemente and pop culture icons like Gene Kelly and Fred Rogers.
“It’s a way for us to showcase people in the community who give personality to the neighborhood,” Wilkinson said.
As Primanti Bros. expands — with 43 locations, the chain has doubled its footprint in the last decade — each new store will have its own distinct mural. Artist Dave Klug illustrates the wall art digitally, based on a list of figures and landmarks brainstormed by Wilkinson and his team, and then the image is installed like wallpaper.
Baltimoreans will notice one bittersweet addition to the Linthicum wall: an image of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in March after it was struck by a container ship.
“It just felt right to keep it,” Wilkinson said.
The Baltimore-themed mural will take up a prominent spot across from the door.
The new Linthicum sub shop opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday at 996 Corporate Blvd., a short drive from BWI Marshall Airport. Primanti Bros. superfans can gather at 5:30 a.m. for an opening “tailgate.” The first 100 people to arrive will get a certificate for one free sandwich per week for a year.
