Wikipedia
Amato's Sandwich Shops, Inc., is a chain of Italian restaurants that serves sandwiches, pizza and pasta throughout northern New England, United States. Founded in 1902 by Giovanni Amato, Amato's currently operates 44 stores. Recent expansion has been in the form of franchising, most notably in Irving Oil/ Circle K locations in Maine and New Hampshire and Maplefields locations in Vermont and northeastern New York. The company also cans its spaghetti and pizza sauces for sale in Hannaford supermarkets.
Headquartered in Portland, Amato's operates over 40 locations. About half of these are located throughout their home state of Maine. The chain also has a strong presence in Vermont (mostly within Maplefields convenience stores), and there are a handful of other locations within New Hampshire and the Adirondack region of New York.
Amato's is best known for its Italian sandwich, called "the Real Italian," which it claims to have invented in 1902.