Since 1948
Granato’s started with one man, a truck full of Italian groceries and a habit of making friends everywhere he went. Frank Granato opened his importing company in 1948 to share the food of his family’s homeland with his hometown, Utah.
His son Sam turned the warehouse counter into the lunch spot half of Salt Lake knew by heart. Today Frank’s grandson Frank and his wife Kami run the business, with a fourth generation already behind the counter. The rule hasn’t changed: when you are at our table, you are family.
Our family’s Italian roots are in San Giovanni in Fiore, a town in the mountains of Calabria, in the toe of Italy’s boot. Salvatore and Maria Spatafore Granato left for America in the early 1900s and settled in Utah.
Their son Francesco, who everyone called Frank, was born in Tooele in 1914 and grew up in Bountiful. He learned to work hard, to make friends everywhere he went, and to love the food of his family’s homeland.
Before there was a store, there was Frank. He ran a stall at Salt Lake’s Growers Market in the 1930s, then loaded a truck with Italian groceries and sold them door to door, including out to Utah’s mining towns.
In 1948 he opened the Frank Granato Importing Co. near 800 South on Salt Lake’s west side. Frank’s rule of business was simple, as he liked to put it: “You can’t sell out of an empty wagon.” So the shelves stayed full: cheeses, olive oils, salami, pasta and the things Utah’s Italian families couldn’t find anywhere else.
Frank was Catholic. His wife, Edith Singleton, came from a Latter-day Saint pioneer family from Leeds, Utah. Bringing different people to one table came naturally to the family.
On Saturdays Frank hosted lunches in the warehouse, where community leaders of every faith sat down to eat together. Frank said he had made a promise to God early in life: if he succeeded, he would share it. He kept it, giving his time to the MS Society, Catholic Community Services, Camp Kostopulos and the Italian American Civic League.
In 1979 the business moved to 1391 South 300 West, where it still is today. By then it was supplying restaurants all over the state.
Frank had one more piece of advice for his son Sam: people should be able to taste the salami and prosciutto before they bought it. So in the late 1980s Sam put two little tables in the store and started making sandwiches. They took on a life of their own. Lines went out the door, and the sandwiches became a Salt Lake lunch habit.
Sam greeted everyone who walked in like an old friend, whether he’d known them for decades or just met them. He opened our Holladay store in the mid-1990s, brought Granato’s to the Salt Lake airport, and later served his neighbors on the Salt Lake County Council.
When Sam passed away in 2018, Senator Orrin Hatch paid tribute to him in the Congressional Record.
In May 2018 Senator Orrin Hatch paid tribute to Sam Granato on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
Lunch at Granato’s was a mainstay for people from all walks of life. … To Sam, everyone was his best friend. Sam enthusiastically greeted every person who walked in the door of Granato’s, whether he had known you for decades or had just met you. His mantra was always, “How can I help you?”
Today Sam’s son Frank, who grew up in Holladay, runs the business with his wife, Kami. They’ve turned both of our original stores into food halls, with our own Italian counter at the center of each: Granato’s Eatery at 300 West and Block Party 2700 in Holladay.
Ogden is next. We still bake our own bread, smoke our own turkey, make our own olive spread and gelato, and stack our sandwiches high. One name. One standard.
Francesco “Frank” Granato is born in Tooele, Utah, to Salvatore and Maria Spatafore Granato, who came to America from San Giovanni in Fiore, Calabria.
Frank goes into the food business at Salt Lake’s Growers Market, where he works until 1940.
Frank sells Italian groceries door to door from a single truck, including to Utah’s mining towns.
Frank marries Edith Singleton, from a Latter-day Saint pioneer family in Leeds, Utah. A Catholic and a Latter-day Saint at the same table becomes a family tradition.
Frank opens his importing company and first store near 800 South on Salt Lake’s west side. That July he helps run All State Italian Day at Lagoon for the Italian American Civic League.
We’re importing cheeses from Italy, Greece and France and supplying restaurants around Utah.
Frank’s son Sam, who grew up in the warehouse, takes the reins of the family business.
We move to 1391 South 300 West, the building that’s still our home today.
On his father’s advice, to let people taste the salami and prosciutto, Sam sets up two little tables and starts making sandwiches. The Granato’s deli is born.
Frank Granato passes away at 76, remembered as an importer, a generous neighbor and a man who kept his promise to share his success.
Granato’s opens a second store at 4044 South 2700 East in Holladay.
Granato’s is announced as a new deli at Salt Lake City International Airport, and travelers have been eating our sandwiches ever since.
Sam Granato passes away at 67. Senator Orrin Hatch honors him in the Congressional Record.
We step back from distribution and start turning the 300 West warehouse into Granato’s Eatery, a food hall with our Italian market at its heart.
Our Holladay store becomes Block Party 2700, a neighborhood food hall with a Granato’s counter.
A Granato’s food hall and sit-down restaurant is planned near 23rd Street and Lincoln Avenue.
Founder
1914 to 1991
The son of Calabrian immigrants, Frank went from a Growers Market stall to a grocery truck to the importing company that still carries his name. He believed in full shelves, a full table and sharing what you have.
Second generation
1950 to 2018
Sam turned his father’s warehouse counter into one of Salt Lake’s favorite lunch spots and opened our Holladay store and airport counter. He greeted every customer with the same question: “How can I help you?”
Family photo coming soon
Third generation, owners today
Sam’s son Frank grew up in Holladay and runs Granato’s today with his wife, Kami. Together they’ve opened our food halls, with Ogden next.
Family photo coming soon
Behind the counter
The next Granatos are already in the kitchen, building sandwiches, making gelato and keeping the family recipes going.
Family photo coming soon
In true Italian fashion, our portions are generous. Our sandwiches are built to fill the hungriest of appetites.
Catholic and Latter-day Saint, regulars and first-timers: everybody has always eaten at the same table here.
Sam’s question for every person who walked through the door. It’s still how we start every conversation.
Four counters, one family. Whichever one you walk up to, you should get the same Granato’s.
We look forward to breaking bread with you.