The term “Grinder” can be traced back to East Coast where, during WWI, Italian immigrants set up sandwich shops close to the shipyards. Their freshly baked Italian rolls were filled with generous amounts of meats and cheeses and were then baked and garnished with lettuce and tomato. These super-sized sandwiches were a favorite of the hard working men who ground rivets off the metal warships. The friendly shop owners referred to the men as grinders, and the ever popular sandwiches also came to be known as “Grinders.”