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Everything you need in one place: a short history, the facts with their sources, photos you may use and Frank Granato Sr. in his own voice. For anything else, email us and we’ll connect you with the family.
The short version
Granato’s began in 1947, when Frank Granato, the Tooele-born son of Calabrian immigrants, filled his 1945 Chevrolet with groceries and sold them house to house. In 1948 he bought a black panel truck, got his first goods on credit from a San Francisco importer and drove as far as Denver. In 1979 Granato’s moved to 1391 South 300 West, still its home. In the late 1980s his son Sam set up two little tables so customers could taste the salami. The deli was born. Today Sam’s son Frank and his wife, Kami, run the delis, market and two food halls.
100 words. Use it as written or cut it down; please don’t add dates that aren’t on the fact sheet.
Fact sheet
Years marked “about” or a decade are the best the record shows. Each line gives its source.
- 1914 Frank Granato is born in Tooele, to Salvatore and Maria Spatafore Granato.Obituaries, 1991
- 1934 A stall at Salt Lake’s Growers Market, until 1940.Salt Lake Tribune, 1986
- 1947 A 1945 Chevrolet sedan, groceries sold house to house.Frank Sr., on tape, 1982
- 1948 A black panel truck, and the first goods on credit from San Francisco.Frank Sr., on tape, 1982
- c. 1950 A little shop at 8th South and 1st West, then 8th South and 2nd West.Frank Sr., on tape, 1982
- 1979 The move to 1391 South 300 West, still home today.Salt Lake Tribune, 1992
- 1982 Eight trucks, a new warehouse, two boxcars full of groceries.Frank Sr., on tape, 1982
- Late 1980s Sam’s two little tables. The first sandwiches.Ogden Standard-Examiner, 2000
- Mid-1990s A second store, at 4044 South 2700 East in Holladay.KSL, 2004
- 2005 A bigger store and warehouse on Redwood Road.Deseret News, 2005
- 2020 The 300 West warehouse starts becoming Granato’s Eatery.Salt Lake Sideways
- 2022 The Holladay store reopens as Block Party 2700.Salt Lake Tribune, 2022
- Next Ogden, near 23rd Street and Lincoln Avenue.Salt Lake Tribune, 2026
Photos you may use
Frank Granato today, and frames from the family’s 1982 video of Frank Granato Sr.’s tour of 300 West. Download at full size (the 1982 frames are 640 by 480, as recorded); please label them 1982. For a current portrait of Frank, or anything not here, email us.
Please keep the credit under each photo with it.
Today
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2022 Frank Granato on opening day, Block Party 2700 Courtesy Block Party 2700 Download JPEG, 2400 × 1600: Frank Granato on opening day, Block Party 2700 -
2022 Block Party 2700, Holladay Courtesy Block Party 2700 Download JPEG, 2400 × 1600: Block Party 2700, Holladay
Frank Sr. and 300 West, 1982
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Frank Granato Sr. Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 500 × 500: Frank Granato Sr. -
1982 Frank Sr. in his office Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: Frank Sr. in his office -
1982 Frank Sr. and his son Sam Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: Frank Sr. and his son Sam -
1982 Frank Sr. at the cooler he designed Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: Frank Sr. at the cooler he designed -
1982 Frank Sr. at the deli counter Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: Frank Sr. at the deli counter -
1982 Frank Sr. in the warehouse Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: Frank Sr. in the warehouse -
1982 300 West from the street Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: 300 West from the street -
1982 The sign out front Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: The sign out front -
1982 The front door Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: The front door -
1982 The warehouse Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: The warehouse -
1982 The forklift Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: The forklift -
1982 A boxcar “full of groceries” Courtesy of the Granato family Download JPEG, 640 × 480: A boxcar “full of groceries”
Frank, in his own words
Frank on the 1948 truck, from the 1982 tour. You may quote or embed it with the credit.
“I bought a 1948 black panel truck, and I worked out of my house for two years with this little truck, going from house to house, to Ogden, Tooele, Carbon County. I went as far as Denver.”
Frank Granato Sr., on a family video of his tour of 300 West, 1982 · Courtesy of the Granato family
Remembering Sam
In May 2018 Senator Orrin Hatch paid tribute to Sam Granato in the Congressional Record.
Read the full tribute: Congressional Record, Senate, S2510–S2511 (Sen. Orrin Hatch)
Press contact
Email us and we’ll connect you with the family. We usually answer within a few business days.