Bruce Newbury The independent sandwich shop or deli is a hardy specimen among the flourishing restaurants locally, as well as across the country. Iconic delis such as the Carnegie and the Stage Deli in New York City have closed their doors. Closer to home, the fondly remembered Miller’s, Christopher’s and Rascal
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Bruce Newbury[/caption]
The independent sandwich shop or deli is a hardy specimen among the flourishing restaurants locally, as well as across the country. Iconic delis such as the Carnegie and the Stage Deli in New York City have closed their doors. Closer to home, the fondly remembered Miller’s, Christopher’s and Rascal House are just that – distant memories. It is a category of restaurant not to be operated by the faint of heart or the chaser of the fast buck. For one thing, alcohol is almost never in the mix, taking a profit center out of the mix. Even the chains are not an automatic, slam dunk success here in Rhode Island. For every Subway, Jersey Mike’s or Panera, there is a Corner Bakery that joins the long list of chains that have tried and failed in our state. It is not easy but it is possible, as the unique shops in Little Rhody that remain as monuments to the Earl of Sandwich attest.
Ocean State Sandwich Co., which opened in 2012, is a success story not only as a restaurant but as an economic indicator. The one-of-a-kind sandwich builder, whose building blocks are locally baked bread and scratch cooking, recently decamped from Johnston to move into a larger location in downtown Providence. CEO Eric Handwerger says this is to take advantage of the city’s improved economy. Ocean State Sandwich accessed 650 square feet at its Westminster Street location to operate a full restaurant kitchen and catering operation and added 25 seats to handle the crowds. Orders for business lunches are stacked up days in advance. Handwerger told me late on a recent Friday afternoon he has orders through the middle of the following week. “We’ll get last-minute orders [along the lines of] ‘oh bleep, my boss forgot we need lunch for 12 today!’ ”
The clientele is a who’s who of successful business in Providence placing orders from a dozen to a hundred lunches.
There are 30 sandwiches on the menu built from scratch every day. Handwerger is proud of the care taken to assemble these creations: “We use local suppliers. Our bread and rolls are baked by Buono’s Bakery, where I still pick up bread every day. Our feta and yogurt [are] from Narragansett Creamery. Our eggs are from Stamp Farm and even our coffee is locally roasted. We are planning to expand the local list to include fresh produce from local farms. I visit farmers markets often to get ideas and inspiration.” Delivery is available through a third-party facilitator.
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