Bristol-based Sandwich Sandwich made its debut in the capital just seven days ago and has already captured the attention and taste buds of the city’s lunch-seekers.
Known for its deep-filled sandwiches, where fillings are stacked up in colourful layers, the business has grown a loyal following in the South-West city, and the word has spread quickly to London, where the brand was greeted by hour-long queues on its first day of trading on Gresham Street.
“We wanted to come in with a bang, and that’s something I believe, with the support of everyone in the local area, we’ve definitely achieved,” co-owner Joshua Kleiner tells MCA. “The reason we decided to launch our first site in London, is to prove to ourselves and to everyone, that our ambitions are massive. We want to make lunch-time exciting again and proving yourself in the City of London is the way to go about it.”
The day-to-day running of Sandwich Sandwich is now led by the head of operations, 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 5 sites including Baldwin Street, Queens Road, and Park Row.
The subsequent arrival in London was highly anticipated, after the brand won Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year in October last year.
In an era where many hospitality brands see social media as an increasing priority, it would be easy to assume Sandwich Sandwich’s hype is a product of social media virality, with pages full of perfectly angled substantial sandwiches, celebrity chef selfies with Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, and even an endorsement from singer Lewis Capaldi.
However, Kleiner is adamant this isn’t the case: “I don’t see us as a social media business. I really don’t see us being on social media as the reason for our success and how busy we are.”
With only six posts on Instagram this year and “£0 marketing spend,” he says the reputation building has been more organisic.
“We’ve grown exponentially on social media because of our customers, and we’re grateful for people sharing photos and videos online, when they come to the stores, it all helps. I genuinely believe that the food speaks for itself.”
On the menu, a range of ‘gourmet’ sandwiches, 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 on average are between £7 and £8.
“Our food is exciting, it’s unique and it’s not a sandwich with 80% salad. I see lunch-times being boring, and people going to places purely out of convenience. And that’s not what food’s all about. Food brings people together and it should be fun, you should be looking forward to your break.”
‘You eat with your eyes’
Despite not shooting for online fame, the visual nature of the product certainly helps.
“We take pride in the fact that people eat with their eyes,” says Kleiner. “We have an in-house artist that prepares how each layer should be built. Then we go into the recipe development, thinking about texture, acidity, sweetness, crunch,” Kleiner adds.
“The detail we put into every sandwich, I don’t think you see anywhere else. It’s quite a lengthy process, which is why our best sellers have been on our menu for a while and we only release something every now and again.”
The brand also prides itself on not following trends. “We want to do exciting things that have never been done before,” Kleiner says, often taking inspiration from customers, and receiving around 300 direct messages daily with new suggestions for the menu.
A key element of Sandwich Sandwich’s identity is its strong connection with the community. “The community we’ve built in Bristol has been nothing short of phenomenal. The messages of encouragement we receive on a daily basis, has been supporting us for well over eight years.”
This spirit is something it aims to replicate in London, where it will continue to support other independent and family-run establishments by sourcing ingredients locally. For example, bread comes from Rinkoff Bakery, a family-run business in London since 1911.
All ingredients are locally sourced and traceable, with partnerships with local butchers and bakeries in London and Bristol. “It’s thought about meticulously so that we can provide the best possible offering, which is why we believe it’s the best sandwich.”
Despite this focus, Sandwich Sandwich strives to keep prices reasonable. “You can have lunch for under £10 in our establishment” Kleiner notes, comparing it favorably to other chains that charge similar prices for smaller offerings. “We could easily charge £14 and a lot of people wouldn’t bat an eyelid.
“We have a lower profit margin than other businesses,” he says, “but we don’t want to be overcharging customers. I had a sandwich from another national retailer recently, and it was £6.50 and I just thought to myself, why is it so expensive?
“We’re for the people, and we want to be able to provide something that’s reasonably priced, the best quality, and also create something that people want to share with their friends and show them how amazing it looks and tastes.”
‘We want to sell sandwiches to the masses’
Looking ahead, Sandwich Sandwich has ambitious plans for expansion, with plan to open another site in London by the end of the year, and five additional sites earmarked for next year.
Kleiner says it is considering different types of stores, from grab-and-go locations for busy office workers to deli-focused stores in residential areas. “At the same time, we’re not always looking for high footfall, because we are a destination place,” he explains. “I think it’s all about the right opportunity and being able to feed people in different areas, and at the moment we are testing the waters a little bit.”
Sandwich Sandwich is also exploring opportunities for national and international growth. “We’ve had franchise companies from Australia, the United States, Dubai, all trying to hold meetings in London,” he adds.
However, “Right now, our main priority is Gresham Street, making sure we are keeping up with demand, making sure operationally everything is set to scale in London.”
Despite plans for substantial growth, the brand remains committed to its core values. “I want Sandwich Sandwich to be experienced by everyone. But we will never change our values. I see so many businesses expanding and growing where they cut costs, they cut quality, they increase prices. It won’t happen,” Kleiner asserts.
“Sandwich Sandwich is more than just a business to us. It’s our passion project. We absolutely live, breathe, eat, drink, Sandwich Sandwich.”
To further enhance its connection with customers, Sandwich Sandwich is introducing a new loyalty scheme within two weeks. “It’s one of the most generous loyalty schemes in London,” Kleiner promises. This move comes in response to changes in loyalty schemes by other chains and aims to reward its dedicated customers.
