Food and Drink

Philly sandwich shop opens in NoDa with a line stretching around the block

Ricci’s Hoagies’ first shop outside Philadelphia opened Wednesday in Charlotte, with a crowd so big that the lunchtime line stretched around the block.

A DJ entertained the masses outside Centro NoDa, the mixed-use apartment development where the sandwich shop has joined recently-opened Morelia Paletas and smoothie shop Pure Green.

A DJ wearing a black shirt and a “ZAMCOM” baseball cap performs on a sidewalk outside the entrance of “Ricci’s Hoagies.” The DJ setup includes a Pioneer controller and a laptop adorned with various stickers, positioned on a table covered with a black cloth. In the background, a line of customers waits to enter the brick building, and modern apartment complexes are visible across the street.
A DJ entertains Ricci’s Hoagies’ opening day customers at Centro NoDa. Melissa Oyler CharlotteFive
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Sure, some may have come to try to snag Ricci’s opening day celebration offer of hoagies starting at 60 cents for the first 50 customers. But with plenty of transplants in the Charlotte area, it’s likely that many braved the long line to snag a taste of home.

A street-level shot of a long queue of people. The focus is on the crowd waiting along the brick exterior of the building. A street sign in the far left foreground features various stickers, including one that says “NoDa.”
An opening-day line of customers stretches around the block outside Ricci’s Hoagies at Centro NoDa. Melissa Oyler CharlotteFive

“You see a lot of people from the Northeast. Yesterday, we were in here training. My dad actually ran into a friend he hasn’t seen in 25 years from across the street,” Ricci’s owner Michael Pagliarella told CharlotteFive during a visit where we tasted the first sandwiches made in Charlotte.

Ricci’s serves up made-to-order hoagies on Philadelphia-based Liscio’s rolls, flown in fresh, and pairs them with Pennsylvania-based Herr’s chips — making for a traditional experience as close as Charlotteans can get to the real thing without hours in the car or hopping on a plane.

A close-up view of a large hoagie cut into two halves, served on white deli paper. The sandwich is made on a crusty long roll topped with sesame seeds and is packed with layers of sliced deli meats, red peppers, shredded lettuce, and white crumbled cheese.
An Old Fashioned Italian hoagie at Ricci’s Hoagies, which has opened its first North Carolina location in NoDa. Its original location opened in Philadelphia in 1920. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive

Ricci’s Hoagies

Location: 719 E 36th St, Charlotte, NC 28205

Menu

Cuisine: hoagie sandwiches

Hours: Sunday–Thursday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.

Instagram: @riccishoagiesclt

A close-up view of the entrance to “Ricci’s Hoagies,” where a group of people is gathered near the door. An “Open” sign is lit in the window, and a decorative arch of red, white, and green balloons stands next to the entrance. Several people in line are looking at their phones while waiting.
Customers line up outside Ricci’s Hoagies as the iconic Philadelphia brand opens in Charlotte. Melissa Oyler CharlotteFive

This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 12:03 PM.

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Heidi Finley
The Charlotte Observer
Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription
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