Pat Scala: The Man Behind the Italian Beef Empire

Introduction to Italian Beef

Pat Scala spread the gospel of Italian beef. In the 1970s and 1980s, he approached hundreds of hot dog and burger joints that already were getting their Italian sausage from his family’s meat wholesale operation — Scala Packing Co. — and pitched them on the virtue of adding Scala’s Italian beef to their menus.

The Art of Italian Beef

To ease the transition, he basically taught Italian beef 101. Trim like this. Slice like this. Add the all-important herbs and spices to make the juice for the sandwiches so they’d come au jus. He was one of the first purveyors to get his Italian beef into grocery stores like Jewel and Treasure Island so people could prepare the Chicago delicacies at home, according to his son Mickey Scala.

Expansion and Legacy

He later expanded into Wrigley Field and other Major League Baseball ballparks and other sports arenas. “Pat was a real go-getter; he was out there all the time,” said Chris Pacelli Jr., co-owner of Al’s Beef. “Italian beef really didn’t go outside the Chicago area too much until Pat started doing that. It stayed 50 or 60 miles around Chicago, and, if you went farther than that, they probably thought you were selling martians.”

Personal Life and Death

Mr. Scala died May 3 from natural causes, according to his family. He was 77. “He played a huge role, and every Italian beef stand owes him a little respect. Hats off to him,” said Chris Zucchero, the second-generation owner of Mr. Beef, which for decades purchased beef from Mr. Scala, but, like many of the city’s Italian beef heavy-hitters, used its own blend of au jus herbs and spices.

Scala Packing Co. and Its Legacy

Scala Packing Co. closed about a decade ago, Mickey Scala said. Its office location, at 707 N. Orleans St., is now a parking lot. The beef plant that was down the street, at 351 W. Huron St., was knocked down and turned into condos. Mr. Scala liked his Italian beef hot and wet — au jus and with spicy giardiniera. He was old school, like the company itself.

Personality and Character

“He was a big personality, a character, very social,” his son said. “He’d talk to you like you were friends for 20 years, but really you just met him.” He’d regularly grab a dockworker or sausage-maker to go have lunch down the street and pick up the tab. “He was the king, a great guy,” said Strat Matsas, a retired beef/burger/hot dog stand owner who says he’s certain that the Abe “Sausage King of Chicago” Froman character from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” had to have been based on Mr. Scala.

Early Life and Family

Mr. Scala was born Aug. 17, 1947, in Chicago to Robert and Leah Scala. Robert and his brother Ralph were second-generation owners of the company. Their father Pasquale Scala, an Italian immigrant, started the company in Chicago in 1925. One of several origin stories behind the Italian beef sandwich holds that Pasquale Scala invented the Chicago staple as an affordable option to serve at Depression-era Italian weddings.

Conclusion

Pat Scala played a crucial role in popularizing Italian beef in Chicago and beyond. His legacy continues to be felt in the city’s culinary scene, and his impact on the Italian beef industry will not be forgotten. He will be remembered as a pioneer, a charismatic personality, and a champion of Chicago’s culinary heritage.

FAQs

• Q: When was Pat Scala born?
  A: Pat Scala was born on August 17, 1947.
• Q: What was the name of Pat Scala’s company?
  A: Pat Scala’s company was called Scala Packing Co.
• Q: What was Pat Scala’s role in popularizing Italian beef?
  A: Pat Scala helped popularize Italian beef by introducing it to hundreds of hot dog and burger joints, teaching them how to prepare it, and getting it into grocery stores.
• Q: How did Pat Scala die?
  A: Pat Scala died from natural causes on May 3 at the age of 77.
• Q: What is Pat Scala’s legacy?
  A: Pat Scala’s legacy is his contribution to the popularization of Italian beef in Chicago and beyond, and his impact on the city’s culinary scene.