Charleys Cheesesteaks

Charleys Cheesesteaks, formerly known as Charleys Philly Steaks, is an American restaurant and franchising brand specializing in Philly cheesesteaks, grilled subs, and related hot sandwiches. The chain is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and traces its origin to a small restaurant opened near the Ohio State University campus in 1986. Its founding story is closely associated with Charley Shin, a Korean American student studying real estate who had experience working in his mother's Japanese and Korean restaurant in Columbus. During a family trip that included a detour to Philadelphia, Shin encountered the city's cheesesteak tradition and saw an opportunity to adapt the format for a broader quick-service audience. Shin persuaded his mother to leave the existing restaurant business and invest her savings in the new concept. The first Charley's occupied a roughly 450-square-foot space across from Ohio State University. From that compact starting point, the business developed through franchising and expanded its menu beyond the traditional cheesesteak. Its offerings came to include steak-based sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, and other hot grilled subs, allowing the brand to compete across the broader fast-casual and quick-service sandwich market rather than relying solely on one regional specialty. The company has used several names during its development, including Charley's Steakery and Charley's Grilled Subs, before becoming more widely identified as Charleys Philly Steaks and later Charleys Cheesesteaks. By 2017, published reference material described the system as having approximately 600 locations across 45 U.S. states and 19 countries. The same material reported that the chain was believed to have doubled in size in 2021, although a precise store count and the basis for that estimate are not provided in the available source. Charleys operates within Gosh Enterprises, a privately owned company solely owned by Shin. Gosh Enterprises also owns Bibibop Asian Grill and acquired leases associated with the former ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen chain. This places Charleys within a broader multi-brand restaurant group while preserving its distinct identity as a cheesesteak-focused concept. The brand's core positioning combines an accessible American sandwich format with made-to-order grilled preparation and the recognizable Philadelphia cheesesteak name. Available reference material does not establish a precise current unit count, detailed geographic breakdown, current executive roster beyond Shin's ownership, or an official website URL.

Charleys Cheesesteaks began in 1986 near Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Its founder, Charley Shin, was studying real estate while working in his mother's Japanese and Korean restaurant. A family trip to New York City included a stop in Philadelphia, where Shin became interested in the Philly cheesesteak as a focused restaurant concept. He subsequently convinced his mother to sell the existing restaurant and invest $48,000 of her savings in a small new location across from the university campus. The first restaurant measured approximately 450 square feet. The original concept developed around the cheesesteak but later broadened its menu to include other steak sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, and additional grilled subs. This expansion enabled the business to appeal to customers seeking a wider range of hot sandwich choices while retaining the cheesesteak as its central identity. The company operated under several names during its history, including Charley's Steakery and Charley's Grilled Subs. It later became known as Charleys Philly Steaks and is identified in the supplied subject reference as Charleys Cheesesteaks. The brand expanded primarily through franchising. By 2017, reference material described it as having roughly 600 locations in 45 U.S. states and 19 countries. The same source stated that Charleys was believed to have doubled in size in 2021, but it did not provide a verified current store count or a detailed account of the expansion. The available material therefore supports recognition of substantial domestic and international growth, but not a precise present-day footprint. Charleys is a subsidiary of Gosh Enterprises, a privately held restaurant group solely owned by Shin. Gosh Enterprises also owns Bibibop Asian Grill and purchased leases connected with the discontinued ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen chain. Charleys consequently forms part of a wider restaurant portfolio while continuing to operate as a distinct cheesesteak and grilled-sandwich brand. The accessible reference material contains no detailed account of individual franchise agreements, marketing campaigns, product launches, litigation, recalls, or leadership changes. It also does not establish the current headquarters address, official website URL, or a complete list of present and former executives.

1. 2021Reported rapid growth

   The available reference states that Charleys was believed to have doubled in size in 2021, without supplying a verified store count or detailed supporting data.

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2. 2017Reported expansion to approximately 600 locations

   Reference material describes the chain as having about 600 locations across 45 U.S. states and 19 countries.

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3. 1986First restaurant opens near Ohio State University

   Charley Shin and his mother open the first Charley's restaurant in a small space across from the Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio.

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A franchised fast-casual and quick-service sandwich brand built around made-to-order Philly cheesesteaks, grilled meats, and accessible American comfort food.

• Philly cheesesteaksCheesesteak sandwiches1986

  The brand's defining product category is the Philly cheesesteak: a hot grilled sandwich built around thinly prepared steak and cheese. Charleys uses the Philadelphia cheesesteak tradition as the foundation of its identity and menu architecture, adapting the regional specialty for a franchised restaurant format in the United States and international markets.

• Steak-based grilled sandwichesGrilled sandwiches

  Beyond the core Philly cheesesteak, Charleys offers additional steak-based sandwiches and grilled subs. These products extend the brand's use of grilled beef into alternative sandwich combinations and help position the chain as a broader hot-sandwich operator rather than a single-item specialty restaurant.

• Grilled chicken sandwichesChicken sandwiches

  Grilled chicken sandwiches form another major menu group identified in the reference material. They provide a poultry-based alternative to the steak-centered lineup and broaden the brand's appeal to customers seeking a different protein while maintaining the chain's emphasis on grilled preparation.

• Other grilled subsSubs

  The chain also sells other grilled sandwiches and subs. This broader category reflects the evolution of the original cheesesteak concept into a menu of hot, prepared-to-order sandwich formats suitable for quick-service and fast-casual dining occasions.

1. Charleys Cheesesteaks