Quote: (12-05-2017 10:36 PM)Mr. Accuride Wrote:
Disclaimer: I knew a guy who tried to start a sandwich stop. According to him, it was bloody hard and he had a 6.5% profit margin with an average net take of $1250 a week despite being in a very foot traffic heavy and touristy part of Vegas.
In Vegas we already have Port of Subs (which sucks) subway (which sucks) Cappriotti's (which is okay) and The Goodwich. The Goodwich is the foodie sandwich shop that had to relocate to a bigger space because they were so successful.
So you have to have a great product. Not a good product, it has to be great. The guys behind The Goodwich have a fine dining pedigree.
OP the pressed sandwich in your pic looks great.
Generally speaking I'd say you need to be very focused in your concept and start small. It's just playing it safe.
Me personally? I've got a pretty solid repertoire of sandwich making so I'd open something that was themed an International Sandwich shop. I'd feature the 'best of', doing a pastrami sandwich (modeled after Langer's #19 in L.A., the greatest pastrami sandwich on earth) a muffaletta, a banh mi, a jambon au beurre, a bbq pulled pork sandwich, a turkey club, a breakfast sandwich (like a Bacon Egg and Cheese on a Kaiser roll like what you get in NYC) a fried chicken sandwich, a pambazo (mexican roll dipped in chile sauce and filled with potatos and chorizo), a medianoche/cubano, a monte cristo, and a couple more. The thing is, you gotta knock it out of the park with each one of these. Easier said than done. Requires lots of recipe testing and standardization. But I would shoot for this level of variety and execution. It would require a LOT of trial and error.
Basically, by the time you're ready to open a shop, the food is the last thing that you should be worried about. It needs to be 100% dialed in.
So I generally recommend others play it safe, especially getting involved in an industry they don't have a ton of experience in. But me personally, I'd say fuck playing it safe, fuck catering to locals, and I'd swing for the fences. Generally speaking, in Europe people make a big deal out of anything that ISN'T their local traditional cuisine. There's that famous falafel place in Paris. It's not even that good, but everyone raves about it.