Editing Pat Olivieri (section)

== The Invention of the Cheesesteak ==

According to legend, Pat Olivieri was working his hot dog cart near South Philadelphia's Italian Market in 1930 when he decided to grill some thinly sliced beef and put it on an Italian roll for his own lunch. A passing taxi driver noticed the aroma and asked to try one. The driver reportedly told Pat that he should forget about hot dogs and focus on the steak sandwiches instead.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.patskingofsteaks.com/history |title=Pat's History |publisher=Pat's King of Steaks |access-date=December 2025}}</ref>

Word spread quickly through South Philadelphia, and Pat began selling the steak sandwiches from his cart. The original sandwich consisted of chopped beef on an Italian roll without cheese.

=== Addition of Cheese ===

The addition of cheese, which transformed the "steak sandwich" into the "cheesesteak," is attributed to one of Pat's employees, Joe Lorenzo, who reportedly added provolone cheese to a sandwich in the 1940s. Cheez Whiz, another popular option, was introduced in the 1950s after Kraft developed the product.