PrimoHoagies, the family-owned Italian specialty sandwich brand that has become a staple of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania culinary landscape, is officially moving into its next phase of national growth. The company recently announced the appointment of Angela Coppler as senior vice president of development, a move intended to transform the regional favorite into a disciplined national powerhouse.
While PrimoHoagies has long been a “best-kept secret” in the Garden State, the appointment of Coppler—a veteran of The Wendy’s Company and Cousins Maine Lobster—signals a shift from reactive growth to a strategic, performance-driven scaling model.
With approximately 80% of its current 125 locations concentrated in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, PrimoHoagies is a homegrown success story. The brand’s roots in South Jersey are deep, known for its proprietary seeded bread and premium Thumann’s meats—a point of pride for local fans who consider the hoagie an art form.
Unlike many fast-casual chains that chase rapid store counts, Coppler’s mandate is to focus on “building better units” before “building more units.” Her strategy targets sophisticated multi-unit operators and institutional partners who can replicate the brand’s authentic deli experience across new markets.
“This is not about adding units for the sake of growth,” Coppler said. “It’s about building a disciplined growth system that protects what makes PrimoHoagies special while unlocking its full national potential.”
For New Jersey-based investors and operators, the PrimoHoagies model offers several structural advantages that have fueled its local dominance:
- Efficient Footprint: Stores typically range from 1,000 to 1,200 square feet.
- Lower Complexity: The concept requires no hoods or fryers, significantly reducing build-out costs and operational hurdles.
- High Brand Affinity: In current trade areas like New Jersey, brand awareness exceeds 95%, with an 80% trial-to-conversion rate among consumers.
Despite its 30-year heritage and award-winning status (consistently voted “Best Sandwich Shop in America” by USA Today), the brand remains in the early stages of its national penetration. Nick Papanier, Jr., owner and CEO of PrimoHoagies, noted that Coppler’s expertise in non-traditional growth channels and international expansion strategy will be vital as the brand moves into a “critical growth phase.”
With over 40 units currently in development, the Westville-headquartered brand is inviting qualified operators to secure development rights before the remaining “white space” in high-value markets becomes increasingly competitive.
PrimoHoagies was established in 1992 in South Philadelphia and is now headquartered in Westville, New Jersey. The brand is famous for its authentic hoagies made on award-winning seeded bread, utilizing traditional family recipes.
