Adding insult to injury, it was revealed that just weeks earlier, Primanti Bros. had hosted a private event for Vice President Kamala Harris, going so far as to clear out paying customers to make room for her entourage. The hypocrisy was too much for some to stomach, and the boycott snowballed into a full-on political sandwich war.
As the boycott gained traction, Primanti Bros.’ financial situation began to unravel faster than a poorly wrapped sandwich. The chain, which had long been a fixture of Pittsburgh’s culinary scene, suddenly found itself in the crosshairs of a politically charged boycott that showed no signs of slowing down
By the end of the day, Primanti Bros. had reportedly lost close to $20 million in revenue, a staggering sum that no amount of extra fries could fix. The chain, which operates 43 locations nationwide, was hit hardest in its Pennsylvania locations, where loyal Trump supporters made up a significant portion of their customer base. One manager of a downtown Pittsburgh location described the scene as “eerily quiet,” noting that they hadn’t seen foot traffic this low since the great coleslaw shortage of 1985.
“I used to have a line out the door,” said one employee. “Now it’s just me, a broom, and a pile of unsold sandwiches.”
