Sandwich shops bite into Valley
Big-name chains join mom-and-pops serving the urge for a hoagie.

By Kurt Blumenau
Of The Morning Call

In the Lehigh Valley, sandwiches are on a roll.

But seriously, folks: A slew of chains that specialize in subs and other sandwiches is either moving into the Valley for the first time, or beefing up their existing presence here.

Recent arrivals Quiznos, Jimmy John's, Planet Hoagie and Roly Poly are facing off with rolls, wraps, cold cuts and condiments. Subway, the biggest player in the business, also added stores in the region last year.

Don't forget to add the Valley's legion of mom-and-pop sub-slingers into the mix. Then, add stores like Wegmans and Panera Bread, which sell sandwiches alongside other offerings. The result is a competitive landscape that delights diners, but gives store owners heartburn.

Which of the sandwich sellers will thrive, and which will struggle?

Each of the chains, and some of the locals, has a marketing hook or specialty sub they say makes them unique. Marketing pros might say the stores that set themselves apart will succeed.

But an informal survey of hoagie lovers says marketing be damned: The stores that execute best will lead the way. The quality and price of a sub mean much more to buyers than size, convenience or image.

''I just want a good sandwich, and I'll go where I can get a good sandwich,'' said Fogelsville resident Carol Buss, who splits her tuna sub purchases between Quiznos, Roly Poly, Subway and Allentown fixture Wally's Deli.

Lehigh Valley diners have always had plenty of locally owned grinder shops to choose from — the kind of pizza, sub and six-pack restaurants that are virtually synonymous with Main Street storefronts.

Grocery stores emerged in the past few years as growing players in the sub wars, adding newer and fresher options as part of a trend toward ready-to-eat meals. Several local diners polled for this story said they regularly buy Wegmans subs.

The Valley has also become an increasingly attractive place for regional and national sandwich chains. Those chains often, though not always, prefer suburban strip malls to downtown commercial districts.

Rising sales are driving the sub chains' growth nationwide, said Amy Garber, senior editor at Nation's Restaurant News, a trade publication.

More diners demand healthy, quick food, and perceive sandwiches as a good choice. That growing demand makes sandwich chains eager to enter new markets. Or, in other words, a rising tide lifts all subs.

''The last 12 months have been a great time for most of the fast-food industry,'' Garber said. Sandwich chains ''are having luck at positioning their offerings as a little more upscale and more healthful.''

Just look at industry kingpin Subway Restaurants of Milford , Conn. Subway opened more than 2,700 locations worldwide last year, and now has more than 21,000 sites. Last year's growth included 26 new stores in eastern Pennsylvania , according to Subway's local development company.

Sales totaled $5.7 billion in fiscal 2002, the most recent year for which privately owned Subway has released sales figures.

Its plans are even more ambitious this year: 3,300 new stores. It's unclear what that will mean in the Valley, since Subway sees other countries as its main growth markets.

Rival Quiznos has about 2,500 locations nationwide, fewer than Subway opened last year alone. But, if the Lehigh Valley is any indication, the Colorado chain with trademark toasted hoagies is sprinting to catch up. Quiznos had one local store at the start of last year, but now has seven sites open or planned in the Valley.

Two stores planned for Bethlehem and Allentown are owned by Andretti Restaurant Group, whose majority owner is former race driver Michael Andretti. Andretti became interested in the chain after eating subs from a Quiznos in Indianapolis .

''We like the product,'' said Shawn Donahue, director of finance for Andretti's company, Andretti International Inc. of Nazareth . ''It's a very high-quality product.''

Other chains have lower-key expansion plans, starting with one store and considering a few more locally.

Jimmy John's, a 250-store chain based in Elgin , Ill. , opened its first local store in February in Palmer Township .

The chain is known for its minimal menu: Unlike other sub makers, it doesn't dabble in salads or soups. It offers six meats, one type of cheese and two types of bread. The chain's irreverent founder, Jimmy John Liautaud, says his company can make subs faster that way.

Roly Poly, of Jacksonville , Fla. , mirrors Jimmy John's profile almost exactly, with about 250 stores and one in the Valley. Roly Poly's sole local store is in Lower Macungie Township .

But it differs from the hoagie players in one vital way: It sells sandwiches in tortilla-style wraps, not bread.

Then there's Planet Hoagie, a Philadelphia-area chain with eight outlets, including one on Chew Street in Allentown .

The chain sells Italian-style subs, with authentic ingredients and names drawn from pop culture. The Luca Brazzi, made with Italian tuna, refers to Luca Brasi, the Corleone family henchman who ''sleeps with the fishes'' in the movie ''The Godfather.''

It's tough to gauge which of the Lehigh Valley 's sandwich shops will go the way of Luca Brasi. Practically all the players, large and small, are privately owned, which means they're not required to talk about sales.

The food business always has a certain amount of turnover — especially among locally owned restaurants, which have shallower pockets than regional or national chains.

The thought of big sub chains driving locals out of business divides Valley sandwich eaters like a knife through a foot-long roll.

Some say local shops usually don't offer the variety that chains do, and the region would not suffer if a few mom-and-pops closed. Others, such as Neil Hever, say the loss of local stores would ''absolutely'' hurt the area.

''They know my name at the local deli — a real plus because it makes you feel good,'' said Hever, program director at WDIY-FM in Bethlehem, who favors Bethlehem's locally owned Goosey Gander deli. ''Local businesses are almost always better than a chain in some significant way.''

Still other diners believe sub shops of all sizes can survive. They say chains and independents serve different markets in different areas — the chains with speed and variety, the locals with personal service and a handmade touch.

As long as each group does a good job, both can thrive, they say.

''The good will withstand the competition from chains,'' said Virginia Himler of Macungie, who prefers Wally's Deli but is willing to try chains. ''I think there is room for both, if they give the customer a good product.''

Copyright © 2004, The Morning Call

Fair Use Notice
This site occasionally reprints copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues and to highlight the accomplishments of our affiliates. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is available without profit. For more information go to: www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.