Submarine sandwiches have absolutely nothing to do with naval transportation and only got their name because a grocery store owner in 1927 thought his Italian bread rolls vaguely resembled the shape of a submarine.

A closer look

Submarine sandwiches have absolutely nothing to do with naval transportation and only got their name because a grocery store owner in 1927 thought his Italian bread rolls vaguely resembled the shape of a submarine. Benedetto Capaldo, an Italian immigrant in Connecticut, was so inspired by a local naval base that he permanently branded his cold cuts with military-industrial nomenclature. This means you are essentially eating a lunchtime tribute to a claustrophobic underwater war machine every time you order a footlong turkey and provolone. It is truly remarkable how we managed to weaponize the branding of basic processed meats!