Marketing

Penn Station partners with Barstool, Virtual Dining Concepts on LTO

Photo: Penn Station

September 23, 2025

Penn Station East Coast Subs is collaborating with Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast and Virtual Dining Concepts to introduce a menu item, the Mega Cheesesteak.

The Mega Cheesesteak features USDA choice steak with pepperoni, provolone and American cheeses, sautéed onions, mushrooms, banana peppers and mayonnaise. The limited-time sandwich is available at all 320 Penn Station locations nationwide through January 2026.

The sandwich was developed with "Pardon My Take" hosts Dan "Big Cat" Katz and Eric "PFT Commenter" Sollenberger, along with Virtual Dining Concepts. The collaboration builds on a previous Barstool creation, Pardon My Cheesesteak, by naming Penn Station as the exclusive producer of the new Mega Cheesesteak.

"This is a perfect example of how we're evolving the Penn Station brand to connect with new generations of sub lovers," Lance Vaught, president of Penn Station East Coast Subs, said in a company press release. "The Mega Cheesesteak brings together our passion for grilled-to-order subs with the cultural reach of Barstool and the innovation of VDC."

Robbie Earl, founder and CEO of Virtual Dining Concepts, said Penn Station's legacy and loyal customer base made it the ideal partner for the new sandwich.

"Penn Station is known for their high-quality cheesesteaks," Earl said in the release. "For a sub this bold, we knew we wanted to join forces with a restaurant that already had a loyal following and a reputation for craveable cheesesteaks. Penn Station was the perfect fit."

According to a 2025 study, Gen Z customers are frequent restaurant-goers. This collaboration is designed to reach this demographic through digital media platforms.