Leaving a legacy of good food, generosity, and an extreme devotion to his family, Richard Neigre, the founder of Primo Hoagies, died unexpectedly Thursday at his home in Sewell, N.J.
When Richard “Richie” Neigre and his wife, Coleen, opened their deli on Ritner Street in South Philly they only had a few sandwiches available. They weren’t expecting waves of people to flock to anything more than the grocery items available.
Nearly 30 years later, that small deli has transformed into Primo Hoagies and has gone from a Philly staple to a nationwide chain.Leaving a legacy of good food, generosity, and an extreme devotion to his family, Mr. Neigre, 65, died unexpectedly Thursday, May 5, at his home in Sewell, N.J. The family said it was most likely due to a blood clot from prior vascular problems.The pair met when she was just 14 and Mr. Neigre, 16. He worked with her father, who was a lumber distributor at the time.
He grew up in a single-parent household without much money and didn’t finish high school, but he was always working and providing for his family.Coleen knew her husband wanted a boy, so when another daughter, Colette, was born in 1988, she asked him if he was disappointed. Soon after the popularity of their sandwiches spread, they opened a second location in Center City in 1996. By 1999, they expanded to four stores, including one in South Jersey. Around 2001, business was booming for the Neigres and they started franchising. Now, there are nearly 100 Primo Hoagies around the country.
All the while, Mr. Neigre’s generosity was shown to anyone and everyone around. Once he started to make money off his business, he would give help to many. It wasn’t surprising to see him eating dinner at midnight or arriving Tuesday when he said he was visiting on a Sunday.