According to the restaurant's official website, Tommy DiNic's is now a fourth-generation family business. In 1918, Gaetano Nicolosi opened a butcher shop in South Philadelphia, where he worked alongside his family. His five sons took over the business and began selling pork and beef sandwiches in the garage behind the shop.
In the 1970s, Nicolosi's grandson Tommy and his cousin Franky DiClaudio joined their last names together to create DiNic's. Although the two cousins later split, Tommy moved his business into the Reading Terminal Market. He still runs the booth with his son Joey, expanding the menu and cementing the eatery as a Philly staple.
Although it's not as well-known as the cheesesteak or the hoagie, the roast pork sandwich is another fantastic option. Philadelphia Magazine even recommends ordering one instead of a cheesesteak. I fell in love with the tender pork and juice-soaked roll the first time I tried it a few years ago, so I was excited to return to the market for the first time since I moved to Grand Rapids.