How Charleys Created Its Philly Cheesesteak Empire

Although Philadelphians may argue, the best cheesesteaks aren't necessarily conceived in the City of Brotherly Love. Perhaps you might find your favorite in Columbus, Ohio, where 13 Charleys franchises serve hungry Philly cheesesteak lovers from locations in shopping malls to the campus of Ohio State University. In 1985, OSU student Charley Shin first tried a Philly cheesesteak while on a trip to Philadelphia. The Korean-born finance major already had a vision for success when he decided the steak sandwich would be an instant hit with fellow students, and set out to serve it in his own restaurant.

In 1986, Shin convinced his mother to help him finance what would be his first eatery, Charley's Steakery. He added loaded gourmet fries and homemade lemonade to the menu, and he enjoyed success as the restaurant became a hit. But Shin wasn't finished. In 1991, he franchised the restaurant, and Charley's Steakery became Charley's Grilled Subs, and then eventually Charleys Cheesesteaks. Shin told The Columbus Dispatch that despite knowing very little about franchising and having an attorney advise him the percentage of success was low, he went to the campus library and read through a book on how to franchise a small business. 

To date, Charleys Cheesesteaks can be found in 17 countries and 46 U.S. states. In addition to the more than 850 Charleys locations, Shin oversees a multi-brand restaurant empire that includes BIBIBOP and Lenny's Grill and Subs. In an industry that is often cutthroat, Charleys Cheesesteaks provided something relatively unique, and it was simply inspired by its owner eating a delicious steak sandwich.

Charley Shin credits the prosperity of his first restaurant to hard work and effort in simply mimicking the taste of his first cheesesteak. In an interview with Forbes, Shin said he made his prototype in a pan, shared it with friends, and embraced their positivity. The aspiring businessman opened the first restaurant in a small space across OSU's campus and began slinging steak sandwiches to college kids on a budget.

As a nod to his Korean heritage (and perhaps also to the BBQ beef dish bulgogi), Shin's menu includes a Kimchi Cheesesteak with premium steak, gochujang sauce, onions, peppers, kimchi, provolone cheese, and Sriracha mayo. You'll also find a Chicken Buffalo, Old School Cheesesteak, Chicken California, Steak Philly Cheesesteak, Bacon 3 Cheesesteak, Chicken Philly, Chicken Teriyaki, and Veggie Delight.

While Philadelphia brothers Pat and Harry Olivieri of Pat's King of Steaks are credited with creating the first Philly cheesesteak sandwich, their competitor Geno's Steaks (directly across the street) is another leading purveyor of the meat sandwiches. Deciding what's the best Philly cheesesteak is subjective, but what makes a traditional cheesesteak sandwich stand out is the steak and onions. In fact, the first Philly steak was said to have no cheese. 

These days, Philly cheesesteak lovers are divided into two camps on cheese: Provolone or Cheez Whiz. Charleys represents both, depending on the menu item — its Steak Philly Cheesesteak uses provolone, while the Old School Cheesesteak, which was Shin's riff on the first such sandwich he ate, uses Cheez Whiz.