Buona, The Original Italian Beef, celebrates 35 years of serving up its famous beef to all of Chicagoland on January 21. Joe Buonavolanto, Sr. opened the first Buona restaurant in 1981 in Berwyn, Illinois, bringing Italian beef to the suburbs.

Buonavolanto was among a group of Italian immigrants who made the now-famous sandwich a staple of Chicago's culinary scene. Depression-era stockyard workers who were looking for ways to make food go farther introduced Italian beef to the city. The sandwich, which typically uses lean and tougher cuts of meat that has been cooked for several hours, was often served at weddings and banquets. 

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Source: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/