Est. 1927 · Fairmont

The Pepperoni Roll

The little bread roll that put Marion County on the map.

Come hungry — Marion County pepperoni rolls

Hey! Have you heard of these before? Pepperoni rolls are soft white bread rolls with pepperoni baked in the middle. The idea came from the local coal mines in the 1920s, and now it’s the state food! Sticks of pepperoni and bread were staples for Italian miners to take underground. Then, in 1927, this guy, Giuseppe “Joseph” Argiro, an Italian immigrant and coal miner, was the first person to commercialize pepperoni rolls. You can still go to his store: Country Club Bakery.

From the mailbox

Handwritten postcard: I had a great time. Ate a pepperoni roll — this is the town where it was invented. We also ate at Dairy Cream Corner, and my small ice cream was like 12 inches tall. Love, Marion.

Fairmont, West Virginia

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Eat as many as you can — and earn prizes!

You can collect points with each bakery you go to and get a sticker or lunch baggie or lunch tote. Comes in handy on trips to Valley Falls or long drives in the car.

Why all the bread and pepperoni?

I bet you’re wondering why Marion County is so obsessed with bread and pepperoni. I did, too, until I realized how significant the coal mining history is here. Just look at all their memorials.

Ready to eat?

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