The Bobbie is a Turkey Day meal on a roll

December 1, 2023 8

The Bobbie, a Thanksgiving meal on a roll, is still among the top sandwiches at Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop. It’s been a best seller since the first shop opened in 1976.

The sandwich was named in honor of Bobbie, an aunt of brother and sister owners Alan and Lois Margolet, who served a similar sandwich to the family.

Lewes store owner George Bachwald and his staff have made thousands of the turkey-dressing-cranberry sauce-mayonnaise sandwiches this year and orders only increase around the Thanksgiving holiday. Buchwald can make a Bobbie in about one minute.

Buchwald said it’s hard to believe but his customers purchase lots of the sandwiches the day after the holiday. It seems some people can’t get enough turkey.

“Italian subs are usually the best sellers during the summer, but as soon as October rolls around, orders for Bobbies start rolling in,” he said.

The sandwiches are popular with beachgoers and Cape May-Lewes Ferry travelers who get a sandwich before they board the ferry.

During the busy Bobbie season, Buchwald roasts eight 25-pound fresh turkeys every day and then pulls it off the bones for the sandwiches. He also cooks 30 pounds of stuffing a day.

Buchwald said processed turkey does not meet the standards of the Bobbie.

In the summer, he uses nearly 1,000 Liscio’s rolls daily. A family-run business in Glassboro, N.J., Liscio’s is a partner with the Philadelphia Phillies and Flyers.

From the beginning

The first Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop opened in the heart of Little Italy in Wilmington in 1976, and it has grown to 150 shop in 27 states, including Hawaii.

Locally, the Lewes location is celebrating its 25th anniversary, opening in 1998 in Lewes Plaza on Savannah Road.

The franchise is named in honor of the original owners’ grandfather, Phillip Capriotti, who loved to cook traditional Italian food.

Among their other sandwiches, the couple wanted to create a unique sandwich for real turkey lovers using homemade ingredients.

Soon, the tradition began of roasting whole turkeys in their home every night to serve the next day in a variety of sandwiches, including their signature best-seller Bobbie. Lines soon began to form around the block.

Recently, other shops have added their own turkey dinner sandwich to menus. “We have the best and original, and everyone else has copied us,” Buchwald said.

Over the years, other family members joined the business as it began to grow. The couple franchised other locations in 16 states and Washington, D.C., starting in 1991.

In 2007, the family sold 45 shops to a group of investors, but excluded the Wilmington and New Castle shops that remain in the family.

Lois died Jan. 12, 2017, at her adopted home in Las Vegas. She was 68 years old.

National attention

Over the years, the Bobbie has attracted national attention and was named the Best Sandwich in America in 2009 by aol.com. More recently, the website Thrillist named it as one of the top sandwiches in the country.

On Feb. 21, 2013, during a grand opening of a Washington, D.C., shop, then-Vice President Joe Biden surprised customers when he entered the shop to buy Italian subs for himself and President Barrack Obama, and a Bobbie and Italian sub for this staff.

As he waited in line, he extolled the virtues of Capriotti’s telling customers the best sandwiches in the world came from Wilmington. When paying the $56 tab, he came up short and his assistant covered the bill.

The sandwich shop is also a favorite of Gov. John Carney.

Since 2007, Capriotti’s has been owned by a group of investors and is headquartered in Las Vegas, and the city has the highest concentration of shops anywhere in the country. It’s now the official sandwich sponsor of the World Series of Poker. The owners plan to open more than 500 shops over the next two years.

Locally, Capriotti’s has locations in Lewes, Milford and Millsboro.