January 20, 2026
Michaela Althouse/PhillyVoice
Frank Olivieri, the longtime owner of Pat's King of Steaks in South Philadelphia, has died at age 87, his family says.
Frank Olivieri Sr., who ran Pat's King of Steaks in South Philadelphia for nearly three decades, has died at 87.
Olivieri's family shared the news in a social media post Monday. No cause of death was given. His family said he instrumental in transforming the cheesesteak joint at 1237 E. Passyunk Ave. from a neighborhood favorite to an "internationally recognized landmark."
"Frank, like Harry and Pat before him, was a true original who helped forge the origins of Pat's for nearly a half of a century," the family said.
Olivieri was the son of Harry Olivieri, who co-founded the restaurant in 1930 with his brother, Pat. Frank Olivieri began working at the shop in the late 1950s and became a co-owner in 1968. He retired in 1996, when his son, Frank Olivieri Jr., took over the business.
During Frank's time at the helm, the family said, the cheesesteak shop gained international recognition and was visited by celebrities, athletes and public figures alongside locals and tourists. They said he was passionate about preserving the "authenticity, simplicity, and quality" of the restaurant and its working-class roots, and was dedicated to keeping it open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
A viewing and memorial service will be held Friday at Baldi Funeral Home in South Philly. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made in Olivieri's name to St. Maron Church, 1010 Ellsworth St.
