Inside Fertitta’s Deli: Shreveport’s Oldest Family Restaurant
In the heart of Shreveport, at the corner of Sam R. Fertitta Drive, sits a two-story red brick building with a sign that reads Home of the Muffy. The Muffy is more than a sandwich. It is a cultural symbol, a culinary invention rooted in family tradition, and a cornerstone of Louisiana food heritage.
Fertitta’s Deli opened in 1927 and has operated in the same location ever since. It is the city’s oldest continuously run, family-owned restaurant. What began as a neighborhood grocery store started by an Italian immigrant has become a beloved landmark and a place where family, history, and food come together in every order.
A Sandwich with Soul: The Birth of the ‘Muffy’
When I stepped inside Fertitta’s, the scent of warm bread and spiced olive salad filled the air. Behind the counter, Agatha Fertitta McCall was assembling the deli’s signature sandwich with practiced care and pride. She told me about her grandfather who built the building in 1927, and her father Sam, who transformed it into a delicatessen after taking over in 1949.
The Muffy, Fertitta’s signature sandwich, was created by chance. In the 1960s, Sam began selling muffuletta bread imported from New Orleans. One day, he made a sandwich using the bread for a visiting customer from United Gas Company…