Pat’s King of Steaks offers $5,000 reward after manager assaulted with cheesesteak

Frank Olivieri, owner of the historic South Philadelphia restaurant Pat’s King of Steaks, has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a customer who assaulted a manager.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 30, at the restaurant’s takeout window on Passyunk Avenue. General manager Tom Francano reported that a customer returned approximately 10 minutes after purchasing a cheesesteak to claim the food was “garbage.” After Francano asked other customers for their opinions, the individual allegedly became angry and threw the sandwich at Francano’s face.

Surveillance footage captured the confrontation, showing the customer—who appeared to be using a video camera on a small tripod—tearing the sandwich apart by hand before approaching the window. The individual was described as wearing a blue Under Armour jacket, black shorts, and red Beats headphones.

Francano, who sustained no injuries, expressed suspicion that the customer may have been an influencer attempting to create controversial content. Philadelphia police are currently investigating the assault, but no arrests have been made.