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100 Fans Get Free Sandwiches For A Year At New Primanti's Location

WEST HOMESTEAD (KDKA) --- If you build it (and offer free food), they will come.

A new Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar at The Waterfront in West Homestead opened to the public for the first time Wednesday. To mark the occasion, Primanti's offered free sandwiches for a year to the first 100 customers through the door.

Long before the sun came up and the doors officially opened, dozens of customers lined up outside the new Primanti Brothers restaurant at the Waterfront.

"We were like the third people here, kind of ridiculous in retrospect, but we secured our spot," Jacob Susalla said.

That spot got Susalla free sandwiches, once a week, for a year.

He set up shop with his friends around midnight. He said the wait wasn't bad and it was like a big tailgate party.

"They are giving us some doughnuts to hold us over, been very hospitable so far, we got some nice games, just hanging out," Susalla said.

Charles Guardalabene was the first in line after arriving around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"It sounded pretty cool, stayed up all night, just for a sandwich, cool," he said.

Primanti's offered the deal to the first 100 customers in celebration of its new restaurant located near the Improv.

With 52 free sandwiches, each customer is getting a value of about $500.

"People are excited. We've been around Pittsburgh for more than 86 years and our fans are excited we are opening a new one," Ryan Wilkinson, of Primanti Brothers, said.

Employees say the Waterfront was the perfect place for the latest Pittsburgh classic.

"It's a destination spot for people in the 'Burgh and people around the area and it's the perfect place for us to be, we're very excited about it," Wilkinson said.

The new restaurant opens with a full menu to the general public Wednesday afternoon.

There will be happy hour specials and the Penguins game on all the televisions tonight.

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