When I first moved to Las Vegas, I learned a few things about working holidays in the news biz. You earned time-and-a-half on your paycheck 💰 and if it was Thanksgiving, a platter of Bobbies was ordered for everyone on duty.
🥪 So What’s a Bobbie?
The Bobbie is Capriotti’s instant Thanksgiving feast in the form of a sandwich. It combines turkey, stuffing, cranberry, and mayo inside a soft hoagie bun.
🦃 The Turkey is Everything
No sliced deli meat here. Every Capriotti’s location slow-roasts full 28-pound turkeys overnight in large gas-fired deck ovens. The meat is then pulled off the bone by hand — light and dark pieces, just like on Thanksgiving — for the sandwiches.
Capriotti’s is actually the largest restaurant buyer of Butterball turkeys in the world. An exclusive turkey, the Capriotti’s Super Tom, is raised exclusively for the sandwich chain.
The stuffing is made in house too. Capriotti’s stockpiles the ingredients to make sure it’s available year-round.
☀️ Seasonal Yumminess
The Bobbie spikes in sales around Thanksgiving, but is also popular for picnics in spring and summer. It’s available hot or cold and comes in four sizes.
🤔 So, Who's Bobbie?
Siblings Lois and Alan Margolet founded the first Capriotti’s nearly 50 years ago inside a row house in Wilmington, Delaware — and their Uncle Bobbie played a role in helping the business get off the ground.
🤯 Wait, Delaware?
Yeah. Capriotti’s is a Vegas thing, but the concept started in Delaware, where it’s something of a local institution. Even President Biden is said to be a fan.
The owners loved to visit Vegas and opened a few locations here. Current CEO Ashley Morris and president Jason Smylie were die-hard fans of Capriotti’s while attending UNLV. They loved the sandwiches so much, they opened their own franchises and eventually became the majority shareholders to acquire the brand. The full corporate operation is now based in Vegas.
👀 What Beats the Bobbie?
While the Bobbie may have the most notoriety, the cheesesteaks are actually the best-selling sandwiches at Capriotti’s. If you want them Delaware-style, ask for lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, and pickles on top.
- City Cast Las Vegas co-host Dayvid Figler interviewed Capriotti’s chief operating officer about the evolution of the brand, the secret to perfecting the Bobbie, and how the company found a home in Las Vegas.
