Regional Sandwich Chains We Want To See Everywhere

Americans have enjoyed eating sandwiches for centuries. Aside from being practical, the sandwich has been popular for so long because it is versatile, as its numerous iterations attest. Over the years, the United States has seen tuna salad sandwiches, club sandwiches, and even peanut and jelly sandwiches — which, by the way, are much better grilled — all have their moment in the sun.

As the U.S. has become more accepting of immigrant food cultures and cuisines, the number and variety of sandwiches has increased manifold. This, when combined with a steady demand, has pushed sandwich making into a culinary art form with many chefs and business owners each attempting to outdo the other. One upshot of this is that the U.S. is now home to an array of excellent, regional sandwich chains.

The impact of America's regional sandwich chains cannot be understated. They have helped create national trends, such as the fried chicken sandwich craze, and have even influenced how people in foreign countries eat. However, some regional sandwich chains stand head and shoulders above the rest. There are many things which can make a chain great, from an excellent product to ingenious new inventions, or simple, solid service. The following regional sandwich chains boast all these and then some. That's why we would love to see the these chains popping up everywhere in the future.

Sanguich is a small chain of three restaurants — soon to be four — all located in Florida. This small size belies the chain's influence. Not only has Sanguich been named as serving Miami's best Cuban sandwich, but its first brick and mortar restaurant on Calle Ocho even received a Bib Gourmand from The Michelin Guide. This award is for restaurants that serve wonderful food at affordable prices and that's exactly how Sanguich operates, selling six exceptional sandwiches, all of them for less than $15 each.

Aside from the classic Cuban sandwich, which features marinated pork butt, Sanguich's menu includes more innovative options including the Croqueta Prepararda, a sandwich that sees two croquettes stuffed in alongside the meat. All of Sanguich's sandwiches are finished with a generous brushing of rendered pork fat, giving them an unrivaled flavor and a crisp brown crust once toasted.

Quality, affordability, and ingenuity mark Sanguich as one of the most impressive regional sandwich chains in the entire country and we'd do anything to see the brand's pork fat drenched sandwiches served from Maine to California. Sure, it's unlikely, but why shouldn't we dream?

Cousins Subs is a regional sandwich chain located in the Midwest. Founded in 1972, this chain has gained the respect of customers by offering a selection of exceptional sandwiches, each served on bread that is baked in the restaurants on a daily basis. While the regular bread is well-loved, the chain also offers some special breads on a short term basis such as pretzel bread which was served at the turn of last year. Popular menu options include the Wisconsin Cheese Steak, a 7.5-inch sub that contains steak, bacon, cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, and a cheese sauce, all for under $10. The regional chain is also celebrated for its excellent Wisconsin Cheese Curds.

Although it has close to 100 restaurants across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, Cousins Subs is continuing to expand. At the time of writing, Indianapolis is the area where most new Cousins Subs are being opened, with three new locations opening in the city during 2024 alone. Speaking to QSR, president of Cousins Subs Jason Westhoff said, "We are excited to further our presence in Indianapolis and share our passion for high-quality, made-to-order subs with this vibrant community. Our commitment to quality, community and exceptional service remains at the heart of our expansion efforts." While a nationwide expansion may be some way off, customers have a right to be hopeful that, under Westhoff's presidency, the Cousins Subs' empire will continue to grow.

Marketed as a gourmet wrap shop, Wolfnights has found an impressive following since it opened its first restaurant in Manhattan during 2011. The chain now consists of four locations, all in New York City. Each of these restaurants serves an eclectic range of stuffed wraps made from a variety of doughs, including turmeric dough, chestnut and chili dough, and date and pumpkin seed dough. The fillings are just as interesting with scrambled eggs and lamb bacon, fried chicken and feta, and grilled seitan and kohlrabi all being key players in their own sandwich.

While challenging, these flavor combinations invariably dazzle. One person noted on Reddit: "it's an incredible experience. I had The Beast and the combination of flavors is wildly delicious. I never would have thought the ingredients would go that well together but I was mistaken."

Despite the brand's evident popularity, more than a few people were surprised when founder Itai Afek announced an extremely ambitious expansion plan in 2021. The 10 year plan focuses on the goal of opening 1,000 Wolfnights restaurants in locations around the country. While it remains to be seen if Afek can deliver on this plan one thing is for sure: every wrap-enthusiast is rooting for him.

D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches has, since its founding in 1967, only operated in the confines of New England. At the time of writing, it boasts 89 operational restaurants, the majority of which are located in Massachusetts. This steady growth has been fueled by the brand's reputation for serving excellent grilled sandwiches such as the Number 9 which features grilled chicken or steak served alongside onions, peppers, mushrooms, and American cheese. The chain also sells hot sandwiches including an excellent meatball and cheese.

Thanks to its solid customer base, the chain is continuing to expand in New England with the goal of opening 20 new restaurants — some corporate owned, the others franchised — by 2026. CEO Tom Sterrett has made it abundantly clear that it's only after these efforts are well received that the chain will start to consider expanding into states outside New England. Even then, he only expects to expand into neighboring states such as New York. All this means that it might be some time until those outside of the Northeast get to try D'Angelo's well-loved sandwiches.

The idea for Fuku originated at David Chang's famous Momofuku Noodle Bar where a brilliant chicken sandwich made with thigh meat was available as a secret menu item. By 2015, the sandwich had become so popular that Chang decided to launch Fuku, a fast casual concept that spotlit this moreish, habanero-brined sandwich alongside other options including Impossible's chicken nuggets.

The initial location was an immediate success but expansion proved a challenge. During the pandemic, Fuku expanded into new areas via ghost kitchens. However, the brand changed partners after concerns over food safety arose due to the unsavory practices of its original partner Reef Kitchens. Several Fuku restaurants also closed during the pandemic, marking this as a difficult time for the brand.

Since the pandemic, Fuku has adopted a new strategy, focusing on opening locations in the nation's sport stadiums and arenas. This move has proved incredibly successful and it is estimated that the brand will reach $100 million in annual sales by 2028. This success opens up all kinds of potential opportunities to the brand and CEO Claudia Lezcano is not ruling out franchising. In an interview with QSR she explained why the brand is well-designed for it: "Down the road, should we franchise [...] we have this one amazing product. It's a simple menu to deliver, which is terrific for operations, and certainly helpful with labor constraints."

Chicago is a city renowned for its sandwich shops and Portillo's is a huge part of that reputation. Founded in 1963, the chain now boasts over 70 locations, each serving its famed Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. With meat routinely slow roasted in store for four hours and served on freshly baked French bread, it's no wonder that Portillo's has a brilliant reputation amongst locals. The chain has sought to build on its popularity by opening stores as far away as Florida and California, and it shows no signs of slowing down. In 2023, CEO Michael Osanloo announced an ambitious plan to open more than 900 new Portillo's restaurants over a 10 year period.

The vast majority of Portillo's new restaurants are slated to be in the Sun Belt states, particularly Florida, Arizona, and Texas. Speaking to NBC Chicago, Osanloo said, "We've opened 10 in the Sunbelt so far. We're very, very happy with those results, and we think that this is where we are going to be pushing very hard for the next decade [...] We're going where people are demanding our food. And so, that is our strategy is to go where the growth is." With such an impressive plan in place, it's surely only a matter of time until Portillo's will be slinging its gravy-covered Italian beef sandwiches in a city near you.

Specializing in inventive sandwiches has been a fool proof means of growth for Dave's Cosmic Subs. Starting with just one restaurant in 1997, the chain now has 22 locations, the majority of which are located in Ohio. Sandwiches responsible for this growth include The Crazy Dave, a sub that's stacked high with prosciutto, capicola, provolone, and various vegetables, and Dave's Best Meatball Ever, a very popular meatball-stuffed sub.

In the fall of 2023, Dave's Cosmic Subs announced its intention to expand by undergoing several updates to its branding and online presence. These changes were made with the goal of attracting prospective franchisees to the chain. Dave's Cosmic Subs hopes this refresh, when combined with several other enticing aspects of the business including low initial investment requirements that start at $213,500, will entice people to open Dave's Cosmic Subs restaurants in parts of the country that the chain has yet to tap into. Whether this happens or not remains to be seen, but given the quality of Dave's Cosmic Subs' food, a nationwide expansion has every chance of happening.

Founded in 1938, Al's #1 Italian Beef has long been a prominent figure in Chicago's sandwich scene. In fact, the company claims that its founder Al Ferreri invented the Italian beef sandwich. Whether this is true or not doesn't really matter; what does matter is that Al's Beef's version of the sandwich is just about as perfect a sandwich as can be. Marinated, thinly sliced beef is shoved inside specifically designed French bread before the entire thing is dunked in the chain's iconic gravy. Speaking to Eater, Director of Operations Adam Bufano said, "The reason why our Italian beef is so special is that it's completely different. It doesn't taste like any other Italian beef sandwich." We have to agree.

The popularity of Al's iconic Italian beef sandwich has seen four other Al's #1 Beef Locations open in Chicago and the surrounding area. However, the regional chain is looking to build on the renewed interest in its flagship product — thanks to the hit T.V. show "The Bear" — by opening the brand up to franchising opportunities. These opportunities don't come cheap; opening an Al's Beef outpost requires an initial investment of $400,000 per unit.

Given the popularity of the brand's main dish, it seems likely that, despite this cost, more Al's #1 Beef locations will be opening in the near future. But just in case they don't open one near you, here's our advice on how to make your own Italian beef sandwich from scratch.

East Hampton Sandwich Co. was the first restaurant venture from Texas born entrepreneur Hunter Pond. The initial restaurant soon garnered headlines for its high quality sandwiches which were filled with meat that was cooked, and sauces that were made, in-house. To this day, East Hampton Sandwich Co. is known to serve excellent sandwiches including Uncle Paule's, a sandwich that contains fried chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomato, basil, pecorino, and a wonderful vodka cream sauce.

By 2018, Pond had expanded East Hampton Sandwich Co. to 10 locations. However, rapid growth and poor location choice caused two of these locations to close. A few more closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and today only three East Hampton Sandwich Co. locations remain open, all of them in Dallas. This isn't to say Pond is struggling, in fact quite the opposite is true. He now heads up a restaurant empire that has an estimated annual revenue of over $35 million. While it's not inconceivable that Pond might invest some of his resources into growing the East Hampton Sandwich Co. chain, we wouldn't be surprised if his focus continues to rest on developing his other brands.

With five locations spread across three states, Capo Italian Deli is a small but well distributed regional chain that seems primed for future growth. Offering a mix of cold and hot subs, alongside some classic Italian dishes such as eggplant parmigiana, the chain's menu is much more varied than the majority of competing regional sandwich chains.

That being said, most customers opt for a sandwich. These are excellent as one customer highlighted on Yelp: "I ended up getting an 11 inch chicken cutlet fontina and it was amazing. (6 inch options are available as well). They served it on the best hoagie style bread I've ever found from a sandwich place. Chicken was moist and everything tasted very fresh."

Since its founding 2016, Capo Italian Deli has grown steadily with its fifth location opening in Virginia during March 2024. As with many other regional chains mentioned in this article, Capo Italian Deli is seeking fast expansion by offering franchising opportunities. The company is keen to open delis in partnership with franchisees in just about any part of the United States, suggesting that the Capo Italian Deli empire might be about to get a whole lot bigger.

Victory Sandwich Bar has two locations, one in Decatur, the other in Atlanta. Both are open until midnight. While it was the brand's famously strong Whiskey Coke Slushie that garnered the most media attention when Victory Sandwich Bar opened in 2011, the sandwiches aren't to be sniffed at either. Take the ever popular Tea Bird, for example. This delicious sandwich places chicken and ghost pepper jack alongside sweet tea mayo. Other options spotlight ingredients that range from Carolina BBQ to white kimchi.

A couple years after opening, Victory Sandwich Bar got a great deal of media attention, including write-ups by publications including Zagat, Bon Appétit, and Southern Living. However, Victory Brands, the parent company behind Victory Sandwich Bar, decided against expanding the brand and instead decided to focus on other business ventures, opening restaurants including Lloyd's. Given this focus on other brands, we don't expect to see Victory Sandwich Bars popping up across the United States any time soon. More's the pity; nationwide access to Tea Birds and Whiskey Coke Slushies does sound like a whole lot of fun.

Founded in 2010, Bruxie has since grown to 11 active restaurants and has two other restaurants that will be opening soon. The majority of the active Bruxie locations are in California, although the chain also has two outposts in Georgia. Upon opening the second Georgian Bruxie in the spring of 2024, CEO Scott Grinstead said to What Now Atlanta: "Bruxie offers a refreshing and innovative restaurant experience that Atlantans deserve. From our distinctive waffle sandwiches and hand-crafted chicken tenders to our homemade sauces and indulgent shakes, we're thrilled to be joining Atlanta's creative and esteemed food scene."

It is the aforementioned waffle sandwiches that Bruxie hangs its reputation on. These are usually stuffed with one of two different fried chicken fillings – regular or Nashville hot — along with sauce and sometimes slaw. Regular fried chicken sandwiches are also available, however it is the waffle sandwiches that form the biggest part of Bruxie's identity, helping it to stand out from the numerous other regional sandwich chains that serve fried chicken sandwiches. This is increasingly important as the chicken sandwich wars continue to evolve, and Bruxie hopes that this unique selling point is enough to woo potential franchisees as it looks to build its empire in the coming years.

At the time of writing there are over 70 Mendocino Farms restaurants open in the United States. These restaurants are located across three states: California, Texas, and Washington. Aside from being one of the largest chains included in this article, Mendocino Farms is also one of the most respected. It is known for using fresh, quality ingredients to make its so-called 'Cheffy Sandwiches'.

This is not to say that it's been plain sailing for Mendocino Farms. To the contrary, the company had to undergo rebranding in 2022 for it to reach its full potential with the chain's logo, name, and restaurant interiors all being reworked. This rebrand was time and money well-spent as the chain went on to have its best ever year, fueling further expansion in areas including Seattle.

Successful as it is, Mendocino Farms is still expanding slowly, and only plans to add five new restaurants in Seattle over a five year period. This is partly down to the chain's continued refusal to franchise. In an interview QSR, CEO Kevin Miles said, "Mendo being the quality brand with the number of items we have, it's not as easily franchisable at this point in time. So that's not something we're considering at all at this point." For that reason, it might be some time before Mendocino Farms makes its presence felt nationwide.