Pat Olivieri stumbled upon what would become a Philadelphia tradition by deciding to have something different for lunch. The year was 1930 and Olivieri owned a hot dog stand at the base of the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. On this day he sent for some chopped meat from the butcher shop, cooked the meat on his hot dog grill, placed it on a fresh Italian roll and added some onions. According to the Pat's King of Steaks website, what happened next made all the difference:
"Just as he went to take a bite, a cab driver who ate a hot dog everyday asked what he had there. Pat said that it was his lunch. The cabbie insisted that Pat make him one. 'Hey.....forget 'bout those hot dogs, you should sell these.' The steak sandwich was born."
Cheese was later added, and the legend was born.