We opened our doors on a Tuesday with 40 pounds of ribeye, three employees, and a handwritten menu. Here's what that first year taught us.
We opened on a Tuesday in April 2012. It was raining. The sign wasn't done yet so we had a piece of cardboard in the window with the name written in marker. We sold out of ribeye by 1pm and had to close early. It was the best day.
Why South Street
South Street was a deliberate choice. It wasn't the cheapest rent and it wasn't the easiest neighborhood to navigate, but it had density — foot traffic, locals, a mix of residents who actually lived in the city. We didn't want to be a tourist attraction. We wanted to be a neighborhood spot that tourists also happened to find. There's a difference.
We looked at spaces in Fishtown and Northern Liberties too, both of which were cheaper and trendier at the time. We chose South Street because it felt more honest. More Philadelphia.
The First Year
Year one was basically a continuous improvisation. We changed the menu three times. We got the cheese ratio wrong for the first two months and didn't figure out why until a regular finally told us directly. We ran out of hoagie rolls on a Saturday in June and had to send someone to buy bread from three different grocery stores. There is no crisis management manual for a sandwich shop.
We also discovered what our regulars wanted, which wasn't always what we assumed. People wanted consistency above all. They didn't want new specials as much as they wanted the same sandwich, made the same way, every single time. That's harder than it sounds.
What We Learned
Running a sandwich shop teaches you that the difference between good and great is almost entirely attention. The meat is the same. The bread is the same. The difference is whether someone is paying attention to the grill temperature, the weight of the cheese, the timing of the press. Most of the time, great food is just care made edible.
We're still on South Street. The sign is done now. We still sell out of ribeye on good days. Some things you hope never change.
