What's your favourite sandwich filling? Opening a shop soon

[Equilibrium25]

Find a turkish or middle eastern baker that can provide you some of their fresh breads for sandwiches and wraps, a nice change from the traditional breads. They sell well at a local sw shop here.

Put some selections together including fillings like falafel, hummus or feta with olives etc.

A lot will depend on your location. The interesting selections sell well around here at £4 plus a pop.

My favourite is turkish bread filled with falafel, hummus, spinach and some other bits.

If you are selling at higher prices, then definitely allow people to choose their own fillings. Make sure you have selections such as peppers, olives, jalapenos, grilled peppers/courgettes alongside the more obvious ones. Plus a range of relishes etc. If the average cheese sandwich can be spiced up with a variety of different accompaniments then you are getting a lots of different options from the same base filling, and ultimately a more satisfied and less bored customer base.

[DeanR32]

Thankyou4calling said:

If they are opening a sandwich shop soon, surprisingly, the fillings will not be all that important in terms of making the business a success i'd say.

I make you right.

We will be getting in the shop very soon, and opening Oct/Nov time, so we're thinking of promoting it as a family in thing (which it is) and keeping ingredients as locally sourced as possible. It's situated in a decent spot with plenty of passing trade (thanks to a Nisa just two doors away), and it used to do the same thing, although more focuses on the greengrocer side of things.

Any pointers as to what you think can help make it as success is more than welcome (that goes for everyone).

Cheers for the input so far guys

[Type R Tom]

DeanR32 said:

I make you right.

We will be getting in the shop very soon, and opening Oct/Nov time, so we're thinking of promoting it as a family in thing (which it is) and keeping ingredients as locally sourced as possible. It's situated in a decent spot with plenty of passing trade (thanks to a Nisa just two doors away), and it used to do the same thing, although more focuses on the greengrocer side of things.

Any pointers as to what you think can help make it as success is more than welcome (that goes for everyone).

Cheers for the input so far guys

Can you have a go at smoking your own meat? A pork shoulder overnight would mean awesome authentic pulled pork for lunch! Cold smoke cheese/salmon could be good too if you've the space in your yard.

[Jasandjules]

Tuna Mayo in French bread.
Bacon in French bread.
Pastrami with French Mustard
Ham and Cheese with English Mustard.
Turkey with French Mustard

[Shakermaker]

It is hard to say what my favourite is, because so often what is good in one place, I couldn't have the same thing elsewhere.

I like chicken, bacon, ham, beef, I don't like fish, so then pairing those well with the appropriate relish/cheese/leafy bits is good.

Also, I am a sucker for a decent Scotch egg, and those from a local home-made deli would be incredible. And sausage rolls too. The pub near me has a few hand made sausage rolls each day, as many as they can make, but they all sell out early on given how damn tasty they are.

[Thankyou4calling]

DeanR32 said:

I make you right.

We will be getting in the shop very soon, and opening Oct/Nov time, so we're thinking of promoting it as a family in thing (which it is) and keeping ingredients as locally sourced as possible. It's situated in a decent spot with plenty of passing trade (thanks to a Nisa just two doors away), and it used to do the same thing, although more focuses on the greengrocer side of things.

Any pointers as to what you think can help make it as success is more than welcome (that goes for everyone).

Cheers for the input so far guys

You are well down the road so some of this may be already done.

1. Write a Business plan (just the numbers) you are already committed so putting in all your costs is a must.
2. Lock these costs DOWN! I can't stress enough that many businesses fail because they simply spend too much.
3. Don't pay any bill until you absolutely have to and then, don't pay it, you will need cashflow (i'm not talking about your daily suppliers)
4. Don't bother asking people what their favourite sandwich filling is. What people say and what they do are totally different.
5. Location is key.
6. Location is key.
8. Location is key.
9. Don't think being nice to customers and making a brilliant sandwich will mean you succeed.
10. Be positive and do your best.

Loads I could add as will others.

All the best to you.

[W00DY]

Salami with mozzarella with a tomato and red onion salsa in a nice ciabatta.


Or a fish finger sandwich. I am powerless to resist a takeaway fish finger butty.

[Moonhawk]

I like most things - as long as you don't use Mayo as a substitute for butter.

If a sandwich has Mayo on it - it should be clear, in bold and underlined e.g. X/Y/Z + Mayo

Mayo /= Butter


Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel is a particular favourite.

[toasty]

Spicy salami, sun-dried tomatoes and blue cheese on toasted ciabatta.

[elanfan]

Hot turkey and mushrooms straight out of the pan so it makes the butter melt.

As you'll be opening in the run up to Christmas get people through the door with a Christmas special, turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Otherwise a favourite is Tuna with seafood sauce

[Equilibrium25]

Thankyou4calling said:

You are well down the road so some of this may be already done.

1. Write a Business plan (just the numbers) you are already committed so putting in all your costs is a must.
2. Lock these costs DOWN! I can't stress enough that many businesses fail because they simply spend too much.
3. Don't pay any bill until you absolutely have to and then, don't pay it, you will need cashflow (i'm not talking about your daily suppliers)
4. Don't bother asking people what their favourite sandwich filling is. What people say and what they do are totally different.
5. Location is key.
6. Location is key.
8. Location is key.
9. Don't think being nice to customers and making a brilliant sandwich will mean you succeed.
10. Be positive and do your best.

Loads I could add as will others.

All the best to you.

Good points all. You missed number 7 "location is key".

On number 9 though....it is critical to be nice to the customers, make them feel valued, recognised and welcome. You need them back through the door at every opportunity. Just one sullen piece of service will mean a first-time customer won't return.

[Shaw Tarse]

toasty said:

Spicy salami, sun-dried tomatoes and blue cheese on toasted ciabatta.

Apt username.

[brrapp]

Shredded beef with sweet chilli sauce and jalapenos for me, preferably on a seeded white bread.

[jas xjr]

if you are going to use cheddar cheese , please make mature an option , mild cheese just does not taste of anything to me

[Mr Gearchange]

Mature cheddar and red onion never disappoints.

[Bullett]

Moonhawk said:

Mayo /= Butter

On the butter issue, if you offer me butter it had better be butter. Not I can't beleive or god forbid marg. It needs to be real butter, salted.

[droopsnoot]

vetrof said:

My favourites change all the time.

And mine. The key is to keep adding new stuff so that people who don't just want a cheese and tomato sandwich every day have new stuff to keep them coming back. Where I used to work it started out great as the sandwich shop there had some really unusual fillings, but it soon got boring because they didn't add any new ones in about five years. Same for the van that started visiting - new stuff, but never changing.

Oh, and have a look for "America's best sandwich" that was showing on the Food channel at one point a couple of years ago. Some very nice-looking stuff on there, though you'd probably have to do smaller versions.

[JakeT]

A good cold Sausage and mustard is a good one. Chicken and Bacon is another favourite, too.

[Google [bot]]

I still fantasize about Chinese Chicken from my Uni sandwich shop days.

ETA I think folk on about a good smoker or at least slow cooked meat are right for getting a reputation.

Do something really silly maybe and think Instagram. A restaurant near me was failing, they started doing breakfast then recently this massive cake stand style enormous communal breakfast. It's gone crazy on social media and now they only do breakfast, with folk queuing up the road, coming from afar. They don't even bother opening in the evenings now.

Edited by Google [bot] on Monday 15th August 10:56

[anonymous-user]

My current favourite is either :

1. Decent bread with Roast Turkey, Blue Cheese and Cranberry sauce

or

2. Tiger bread roll with Fish fingers and lashing of salad cream