John’s Roast Pork has caved: Cooper Sharp cheese is becoming a cheesesteak option

“Cooper Sharp, Cooper Sharp, Cooper Sharp.”

All day long, that’s all the counter people would hear from cheesesteak customers at John’s Roast Pork, one of Philadelphia’s most popular sandwich stands.

Owner John Bucci has resisted, his cheese offerings limited to mild or sharp provolone or American, even though it seems as if every shop these days offers Cooper Sharp, which, as The Inquirer reported in 2023, has become the go-to brand for cheesesteak hounds.

Bucci, who introduced cheesesteaks to his family’s century-old shop in 1987, likes other brands. For American, he’s sold on Land O’ Lakes’ New Yorker — creamy, slightly tangy — and his grill guys know exactly how to slice it and apply it to a sizzling steak to get the proper melt.

“I was just laying in bed last night, talking to my wife, and she was saying how so many people ask for it,” he said recently with a sigh. “Listen, you got to give the people what they want.”

Bucci called his food distributor and placed an order. So now, John’s offers Cooper Sharp as an option alongside the others.

Whiz though? “NEVER,” he replied.

The move will also head off confusion. John’s sells a lot of sharp provolone to top the signature roast pork sandwiches. Occasionally, Bucci said, customers see sharp provolone and think it’s Cooper Sharp, thinking it is the same. It very much is not.

Sharp provolone is best on roast beef and pork, Bucci said. “I really don’t like it on a cheesesteak,” he said. “It’s overpowering.”

In another dramatic menu change, Bucci has resumed offering whole cherry peppers, as well.

“My dad used to love them, and the only reason we stopped getting them was we used to put all the condiments outside, so people used to help themselves,” Bucci said. “It just got ridiculous. People would fill up cups and then get on SEPTA. They wouldn’t even get a sandwich. When COVID hit, we took everything inside.”

They’ll be added to sandwiches upon request, no charge.