Latest opening: Sandwich Sandwich London
What: The first London site for Bristol-based operator Sandwich Sandwich, which has taken over the former Tossed site at the junction of Gresham Street and St Martins Le Grand in The City. Having launched more than a decade ago, Sandwich Sandwich has long been a firm favourite in Bristol, growing to three sites across the city. In recent years, though, the brand’s popularity has skyrocketed; the visual impact of its deep-filled sandwiches proving to be a viral smash on social media. Suffice to say, the group’s arrival in the capital has been met with plenty of hype. On its first official day of trading yesterday (18 July), the queue at Sandwich Sandwich London averaged around an hour and the restaurant sold out of bread by 3pm. It’s a dream start, and one that the business will be hoping to maintain and build upon in the days and weeks ahead.
Who: The day-to-day running of Sandwich Sandwich is led by head of operations and marketing Joshua Kleiner, whose father, Nick, launched the business back in 2010 as Gotham Sandwich Co. It changed its name in 2012 as part of its aims to expand across Bristol and has since opened sites in Baldwin Street, Queens Road and Park Row. Sandwich Sandwich’s arrival in London comes after it was named the Uber Eats UK and Ireland's Restaurant of the Year in October last year, securing a prize of £100,000 to invest in the business.
The food: As you may have guessed, Sandwich Sandwich majors in stacked sandwiches that are guaranteed to give your mouth a workout. A range of breakfast and ‘gourmet’ (read: lunch) sandwiches are available with fillings including sliced Southern fried chicken with house coleslaw and spicy Creole sauce; overnight roasted sirloin of beef with red onion, tomato, cheddar and horseradish mayonnaise; and an all-day breakfast with bacon, sausage, egg mayonnaise, ketchup and brown sauce. Prices across the board are pitched at between £7 and £8, which may initially seem like a lot for a sandwich, but in a world where a noticeably smaller club sandwich at Pret can cost around £6, Sandwich Sandwich’s prices seem pretty conservative. Alongside its selection of sarnies there’s also a range of savoury pastries (£3 – £4) made in house such as Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and pies, and sweet choices like cheesecake and chocolate brownies (£4 – £5).
The vibe: Built primarily for the grab-and-go market, Sandwich Sandwich’s focal point is a large display area that has the appearance of an old-school sandwich counter such as you might find in a bakery, but on steroids with enormous piles of meat, cheese and salad. Here all the sandwiches are prepared to order. The interiors feature a bright colour scheme of green and white, and there’s a number of tables available for eat-in guests.
And another thing: He may have only just opened the doors of his first London site, but Kleiner is already planning further expansion in the capital with a second outpost – rumoured to be near London Bridge – expected to launch before the end of the year. Should both sites go well then a further four or five will launch in London next year before the group turns its attention to expanding both across the UK and internationally. “There is no reason why Sandwich Sandwich will not take over Pret a Manger or Subway,” says Kleiner of his ambitions for the business. “They are outdated. I believe those companies haven’t changed with the times. People are so fed up.”
1 Gresham St, London EC2V 7BX
https://sandwichsandwich.co.uk/
