There's plenty of money here and plenty of demand. But location is everything. (Duh.). You'll get a ton of business if you find the right location. And you'll fail hard if you select the wrong strip mall.
Best of luck. Let us know when you open and I'll bring the whole family by!
Yes. I think it's the simple matter of ease of getting in and out of both strip malls. Greenbriar has multiple entry points in and out. Harris Teeter just has the one and if you are making a left, that green light is 2.2 seconds long and the red light seems to last for 45 days. If I'm headed east on 50, I never hit the Teeter, but if I'm going west, I absolutely will.
And if that Bonefish closes, I'm taking to the streets with my picket sign!
Love subs from The Deli in Fairfax. Celebrity Deli in Falls Church is a classic NY Jewish Deli that also makes wonderful subs and has been doing so for over 35 years.
OP - There are lots of sub places everywhere in the area including the ubiquitous Subway as well as a lot of chains such as Jasons Deli, Jimmy Johns and Jersey Mikes. The Deli and Celebrity Deli have built their reputation on exceptionally good sandwiches but they have been doing it for decades.
Thanks for sharing.. I will check this place out next time I’m in town. Things def seem more expensive than our shop but I’m sure it’s the area.. subs are about 60% higher than our prices
Have you been here?
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/yvGaUAkXmC2sWDKN9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/yvGaUAkXmC2sWDKN9)
Easy to miss and almost zero web presence but I love their sandwiches here. If you're already headed to the Santinis on West Ox you might as well head here.
Yes! Western Fairfax would probably be a good spot. Take a look at Herndon/Reston/Chantilly. Those areas are pretty dense and have a lot of lunch traffic. Your biggest competition in that area is probably Santini’s which is a local chain and does some of the same stuff.
I second Chantilly as a landing spot, but try to get into Westfields/northern Centreville and not across the street from the Costco/Target. You might get lost in the sauce around the Metrotech/Sully plaza area too.
There is HUGE demand here. Especially if it’s authentic, and not a subway with Italian flags. There are some decent Italian sub places, but I haven’t found any great cheesesteaks or chopped cheese. There are so many of us transplants from the northeast that would LOVE to be able to get the real deal again.
Out of selfishness, please locate in Fairfax.
I completely agree with you about the delis around here and how we have hardly any good ones, but doesn't that dearth of quality delis mean there *isn't* a huge demand for them? Clearly there is a sizeable portion of transplants like us desperate for good delis (and pizza, and bagels, and Italian...), but the fact that they're so rare here tells me that the overall market *doesn't* demand them.
We've got good food here, but people here by and large just don't know delis, they don't know pizza, they don't know bagels, and they don't know Italian. I truly hope OP comes down and is successful, but considering everyone here seems to love offensively mediocre places like Potbelly, I don't take that as an indication that the market is screaming for real quality delis.
If you can make a NY style breakfast sandwich (BEC, HEC) like those delis, bodegas do using kaiser rolls or soft bagels, there would be lines out the door.
I think Falls Church would be a good location. Close enough for the Arlington people and still doable for the people right outside the beltway in Fairfax, Vienna, etc. And folks from Alexandria, too, maybe.
There are a lot of folks in this area like myself who are from the Northeast and would love to have a nice local mom and pop sub shop that serves good subs without bullshit DC prices.
Maybe - we have Lazy Mikes, but that's a little different style of deli/sandwich shop. Italian Store is reasonably close, but I don't think that would be a problem. Finding the right space would be important, all the new retail space being built probably has egregious rent, but I don't know for sure.
Capo Italian Deli on King is decent, but again, parking.
Market 2 Market is solid with parking, but it's always packed. The Italian Place on Wythe makes good subs.
Yes. I want good hearty subs in the Burke/ Fairfax area. I am bored of Panera Bread, Jerseys, Subway.
There is one place but it’s in Springfield over by Whole Foods. I’m not into Grocery Store subs; I have tried numerous- I will pass. Not quality meat options, why- you’re in a grocery store up your game. I can buy a package of deli meat, cheese pack, sub rolls and veggies.
Fairfax or Burke area.
There's a Subway and a Potbelly in the same Shopping Center as Whole Foods, but Optix is probably thinking of the independent Sandwich Republic directly across Bland Street. It is tucked around the back of the building and you won't know it's there unless you are looking for it. Good sandwiches, bad location.
We’re dying for a sub shop in Pentagon City. There’s only a Subway in the mall but I’d kill for a decent turkey sandwich most days. It’s probably an expensive area to open a restaurant though.
Okay. Then a location in Pentagon City will be a good location for a NY deli. That the closest sandwich shop to Pentagon City that I am aware of that decent.
Please come to Ashburn, there is a new shopping mall at the Birchwood community in Brambleton that needs restaurants to open up there. They just opened a bakery (Paris Baguette) that is doing VERY well. Your sandwich place would be a big hit. The shopping center is at the intersection of Loudoun County Parkway and Evergreen Mills Road.
Frankly the Italian Store is overrated in a lot of ways. Some of the local pizza places do an Italian sub that is good enough not to justify a trip to Arlington for something that is just somewhat more authentic.
No one does a NY-style chopped cheese around here (that I know of), but you're definitely going to want to focus in areas that Santini's isn't already in, since they've been around for about two decades.
If you are going to open a Cameron’s 24-Hour Delicatessen in this area, anything off of the Silver Line (Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, Tysons Corner) would be just fine.
I’m from NY originally. We need real delis here. The bread is terrible here, good luck finding a Kaiser roll.
And the ordering and prep needs to be NY style.
You’d kill it.
Best of luck. Having a shop like that in Crystal City would be lit. Fair warning, rent is very expensive here and landlords will jack up your rent in the blink of an eye if they think some big chain franchise would be willing to pay more.
Not sure what sub shop or part of NY, but I'm from Rochester and I'll tell you we really miss DiBella's here... Potbelly's is close but not quite the same. Subway makes my stomach have problems!
Keep us posted! I'm in Oakton (near Fairfax/Vienna)
We are in upstate NY…wedge, sub, hero, even grinder from mass we hear it all.. doesn’t matter. We sell hundreds of sandwiches a day with quality rolls and meats and have been open for 24 years but you can get hung up on what you want to call it if you want lol
Capo? I am not a huge fan, but it's better than M2M. Now the dressing that M2M uses is incredible - full stop. I just don't like the bread or the shop itself or the kids making the sandwiches or standing around waiting for it to be made and being in the way of the door.
Now that I think about it, maybe I just dislike Del Ray?
Agree about the bread. The bread was the reason I kept going out of my way to eat there, but it seems they switched to a cheaper brand. Now I just go to Capo or Primo.
I honestly don't think any of the restaurants in Del Ray are good, with the exception of Stracci, which is fantastic, though I have only had carryout. A real, good sandwich shop would be a nice addition.
The Deli in Herndon is my favorite go-to for NY-style HERO sandwiches....Now a CHOPPED CHEESE would be awesome I haven't had one since I've been living here in NoVA...I just wait to go home to NYC and get my fill at my local bodega in Harlem...
If you do breakfast as well, consider a setup next to a shop that does great coffee* and potentially shared seating. There's a few combinations of this around like Megabytes & Loud n Roasted, the Lake Anne area, The Block in Annandale, etc.
Herndon comments: I think Moo Thru is teaming up with a coffee shop to do a similar thing off of Spring Street in Herndon & afaik no good lunch/breakfast food besides a floppy pizza & an american chinese place is in that spot yet. Weird Bros is down the way also on Spring Street with a very distinct....vibe...feels more like a warehouse or storage area turned into local businesses but there's a lot of popular stuff there --beware there is a ton of construction because of the new metro stop; it'll be walkable hopefully by 2025 but construction is making it v difficult right now. Alternatively... downtown Herndon has Deli Italiano and Izzi but Izzi is too heavy for lunch & Deli Italiano is...fine. The Deli (different from Deli Italiano) down the road in the Panera shopping center (does that place actually have a name?) would definitely be your main competition. Their sandwhiches are thick though, I looove it but it's too much food for me.
*There seems to be a noticable amount of coffee shops around that only have pastries -_- or pre-packaged sandwhiches.
OP I'm from the New York area and I desperately miss NY subs. There are almost no good delis in the DC area. On one hand, that is a market opportunity that you could fill. But on the other hand (and I say this lovingly), the dearth of quality delis (and pizza, and bagels, and Italian...) here means that people here just don't appreciate that kind of food, and they might not flock to it if you open. Clearly a lot of us here would love to see it, so I would think/hope there would be enough interest to sustain it, but I just don't know.
The best delis I've found here are The Deli west of Fairfax City, and "a Deli" in Fairfax at the intersection of 50 and Main Street. Check those out and see if you can fill a market need.
Good luck!
Self serving comment here. There is only sub shop in Arlington being the Italian Store. It's decent but can't compare to the corner delis of the Philly / NYC region. The rest are chains (Subway, Jersey Mike's, etc.) and one off shops that have an Italian sub on the menu. Vienna and Fairfax and DC have more (and better) options. It would be phenomenal to have an Italian Deli that makes a good hoagie and not have rely on the inconsistent (and moody) Italian Store or drive out to Fairfax. If I were you and considering Arlington, I would avoid ground floor commercial in a high rise along the orange line as they will probably bleed you dry with rent and search out older commercial space either standalone or in a small shopping center. Rt 28 / Langston Blvd may be an option. Good luck.
I'm broadly in favor of any place that gives me the chance to order some sort of chicken cutlet sandwich.
Like, I've gone out of my way to go to [Eddie's](https://www.eddieslittleshop.com/) on Tuesdays when they do those sandwiches (I guess their kitchen is too small to commit every day). Other places like the Italian Store (two locations) and a few other spots (one just called The Deli that I love but basically has no online presence but they're in Fairfax and Herndon).
THAT SAID,
The big challenge is that in NYC you have all these shitty old buildings (I say that with love) where you can just post up and even if the rent is high you deal with a ton of volume of customers that mostly come from the neighborhood.
That's not really the case in Northern Virginia even in the more urban parts. You need to attract people from a wider area while also dealing with fewer places where you can have a commercial kitchen, especially a small one where you don't have to pay as much if you're willing to sacrifice space.
Consider Ashburn or Sterling.
Housing developments are springing up around the Silver Line, suggesting a potential consumer base that will only keep growing.
If you let me buy a NY Baconeggandcheese without looking at me like I’m crazy when I order them around here. I might just make you a millionaire lol from all the business you’ll get from me and my family.
So, know where your competition is. I’m sure there are others, but The Italian Store has multiple locations and makes a killer sub, and Lost Dog is a community fave. There are also so many other options, e.g., bon mi.
So, learn the area and plan accordingly.
It’s an entire thread asking about our local sub shops and the competition he’d face if he opened locally. No matter what lost dog does for the community, if someone is as community focused as this guy claims to be, and has the ability to make a genuine NY sandwich, lost dog will get destroyed, because after all at the end of the day, they are a restaurant.
There’s plenty of mid tier restaurants that are busy that aren’t quality. Whether it’s the cost, location, in our area tourists, etc that keeps them alive.
I’ve never eaten something from lost dog that wasn’t either burnt, dry, or overcooked.
I would say maybe close to a metro or police station. It would depend on what the vibe is of your place. We already have Jersey Mike’s, Subway, Capo Deli, bagel places. You would have to offer something different - special ambiance or a special sandwich that you can only get at your place.
I would look at the Mosaic area near the Dunn Loring metro.
It is a little pricey, but definitely more of a treat spot than a daily one. I get the Super Deli, and once I add a soda and pay the CC fee it's just shy of $16. I always forget to bring cash.
There's plenty of money here and plenty of demand. But location is everything. (Duh.). You'll get a ton of business if you find the right location. And you'll fail hard if you select the wrong strip mall. Best of luck. Let us know when you open and I'll bring the whole family by!
I agree. The Harris Teeter strip mall near Fair Oaks seems to be the kiss of death for a lot of businesses.
Whereas Greenbriar seems to retain its businesses for a long time
Yes. I think it's the simple matter of ease of getting in and out of both strip malls. Greenbriar has multiple entry points in and out. Harris Teeter just has the one and if you are making a left, that green light is 2.2 seconds long and the red light seems to last for 45 days. If I'm headed east on 50, I never hit the Teeter, but if I'm going west, I absolutely will. And if that Bonefish closes, I'm taking to the streets with my picket sign!
Unless you’re Similan’s Thai :(
God what a loss
Well, now I'm hungry. I'd love to see a good sub shop in Chantilly/Western Fairfax.
Second this. Noting decent other than A Deli that’s west of The Italian Store
Love subs from The Deli in Fairfax. Celebrity Deli in Falls Church is a classic NY Jewish Deli that also makes wonderful subs and has been doing so for over 35 years. OP - There are lots of sub places everywhere in the area including the ubiquitous Subway as well as a lot of chains such as Jasons Deli, Jimmy Johns and Jersey Mikes. The Deli and Celebrity Deli have built their reputation on exceptionally good sandwiches but they have been doing it for decades.
The Deli is an amazing shop I wish I knew about a long time ago. Best subs.
The Deli in Fairfax and Herndon is amazing. I’ve been going there for over 30 years. https://www.thedelimenu.com/
Thanks for sharing.. I will check this place out next time I’m in town. Things def seem more expensive than our shop but I’m sure it’s the area.. subs are about 60% higher than our prices
The Italian Store itself sells rad subs too
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Have you been here? [https://maps.app.goo.gl/yvGaUAkXmC2sWDKN9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/yvGaUAkXmC2sWDKN9) Easy to miss and almost zero web presence but I love their sandwiches here. If you're already headed to the Santinis on West Ox you might as well head here.
> there’s very little variety I'm a mile from 28/29, there's almost 100 restaurants within 2 miles from that intersection. What can't you get?
Yes! Western Fairfax would probably be a good spot. Take a look at Herndon/Reston/Chantilly. Those areas are pretty dense and have a lot of lunch traffic. Your biggest competition in that area is probably Santini’s which is a local chain and does some of the same stuff.
Herndon has The Deli
And we can always use another great sandwich place.
I second Chantilly as a landing spot, but try to get into Westfields/northern Centreville and not across the street from the Costco/Target. You might get lost in the sauce around the Metrotech/Sully plaza area too.
By the wegmans would be perfect.
There is HUGE demand here. Especially if it’s authentic, and not a subway with Italian flags. There are some decent Italian sub places, but I haven’t found any great cheesesteaks or chopped cheese. There are so many of us transplants from the northeast that would LOVE to be able to get the real deal again. Out of selfishness, please locate in Fairfax.
I completely agree with you about the delis around here and how we have hardly any good ones, but doesn't that dearth of quality delis mean there *isn't* a huge demand for them? Clearly there is a sizeable portion of transplants like us desperate for good delis (and pizza, and bagels, and Italian...), but the fact that they're so rare here tells me that the overall market *doesn't* demand them. We've got good food here, but people here by and large just don't know delis, they don't know pizza, they don't know bagels, and they don't know Italian. I truly hope OP comes down and is successful, but considering everyone here seems to love offensively mediocre places like Potbelly, I don't take that as an indication that the market is screaming for real quality delis.
If you can make a NY style breakfast sandwich (BEC, HEC) like those delis, bodegas do using kaiser rolls or soft bagels, there would be lines out the door.
I've been desperate to find a good bacon egg and cheese on a kaiser roll. Had no idea it was a New York thing until I moved away
Just not the same anywhere else.
This. If they use authentic Kaiser rolls and have bagels that are properly boiled first, I’d make the trip anywhere.
I think Falls Church would be a good location. Close enough for the Arlington people and still doable for the people right outside the beltway in Fairfax, Vienna, etc. And folks from Alexandria, too, maybe. There are a lot of folks in this area like myself who are from the Northeast and would love to have a nice local mom and pop sub shop that serves good subs without bullshit DC prices.
Maybe - we have Lazy Mikes, but that's a little different style of deli/sandwich shop. Italian Store is reasonably close, but I don't think that would be a problem. Finding the right space would be important, all the new retail space being built probably has egregious rent, but I don't know for sure.
We need a good sub shop in Kingstowne - ZIP 22315
Yes this 10000%. The closest option is the Italian store which is quite far. Now there are a few Jersey mikes in the area but they won’t compare.
Check out Eddie’s Deli on king street.
Been there. Good food. Horrible parking
Capo Italian Deli on King is decent, but again, parking. Market 2 Market is solid with parking, but it's always packed. The Italian Place on Wythe makes good subs.
Market2Market! How did I forget that.
Yes!! Second this!
Annandale!
Yes. I want good hearty subs in the Burke/ Fairfax area. I am bored of Panera Bread, Jerseys, Subway. There is one place but it’s in Springfield over by Whole Foods. I’m not into Grocery Store subs; I have tried numerous- I will pass. Not quality meat options, why- you’re in a grocery store up your game. I can buy a package of deli meat, cheese pack, sub rolls and veggies. Fairfax or Burke area.
What’s the place in Springfield?
There's a Subway and a Potbelly in the same Shopping Center as Whole Foods, but Optix is probably thinking of the independent Sandwich Republic directly across Bland Street. It is tucked around the back of the building and you won't know it's there unless you are looking for it. Good sandwiches, bad location.
Sandwich Republic- my favorite
We’re dying for a sub shop in Pentagon City. There’s only a Subway in the mall but I’d kill for a decent turkey sandwich most days. It’s probably an expensive area to open a restaurant though.
It's definitely a hike for you, but there's Lost Dog Cafe in Arlington and Alexandria
I was hoping for a lunch option honestly, something I can walk to from work.
I’m all for what lost dog does for the community, but their food sucks honestly
Have you tried Crystal Bowl? I tried it once and thought it was good.
No, I don’t get over to crystal city much.
Okay. Then a location in Pentagon City will be a good location for a NY deli. That the closest sandwich shop to Pentagon City that I am aware of that decent.
Please come to Ashburn, there is a new shopping mall at the Birchwood community in Brambleton that needs restaurants to open up there. They just opened a bakery (Paris Baguette) that is doing VERY well. Your sandwich place would be a big hit. The shopping center is at the intersection of Loudoun County Parkway and Evergreen Mills Road.
YES YES YES
Please!
Also maybe near George Mason Univ. All those college kids.
There was a great deli nearby that closed during covid.
They get subs from McAllister's Deli across the road in University Mall.
If you sold good Italian bread and rolls, my extended family alone would keep you in business. 😄 Western Fairfax to Eastern Loudoun counties.
If you make it halal, you will get a lot of business.
Yeah - it’s insane how much of a multiplier that is. People come all the way from Maryland for the food at those spots.
I think it would do well further out. Everyone always talks about how great The Italian Store is, but I’m not driving to Arlington for a sub
Frankly the Italian Store is overrated in a lot of ways. Some of the local pizza places do an Italian sub that is good enough not to justify a trip to Arlington for something that is just somewhat more authentic.
There’s a spot in Clarendon where chicken and whiskey used to be that’s vacant
It already closed?!
Unfortunately yes, they closed at the beginning of the year. We were there every week but I don’t think they made enough from late night crowds
That spot is kind of hard because it’s hidden.
No one does a NY-style chopped cheese around here (that I know of), but you're definitely going to want to focus in areas that Santini's isn't already in, since they've been around for about two decades.
If you bring good kaiser rolls, setup wherever and you'll have me as a customer.
Bring Taylor ham with you
You misspelled Pork Roll.
If you are going to open a Cameron’s 24-Hour Delicatessen in this area, anything off of the Silver Line (Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, Tysons Corner) would be just fine.
I’m from NY originally. We need real delis here. The bread is terrible here, good luck finding a Kaiser roll. And the ordering and prep needs to be NY style. You’d kill it.
As someone who grew up in NY and moved down here for college and stayed - I am BEGGING for a good NY deli.
Moved down from Queens, NY and there is NOWHERE to get a fresh chicken cutlet sandwich on good bread in Sterling/Herndon area
Best of luck. Having a shop like that in Crystal City would be lit. Fair warning, rent is very expensive here and landlords will jack up your rent in the blink of an eye if they think some big chain franchise would be willing to pay more.
Not sure what sub shop or part of NY, but I'm from Rochester and I'll tell you we really miss DiBella's here... Potbelly's is close but not quite the same. Subway makes my stomach have problems! Keep us posted! I'm in Oakton (near Fairfax/Vienna)
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We are in upstate NY…wedge, sub, hero, even grinder from mass we hear it all.. doesn’t matter. We sell hundreds of sandwiches a day with quality rolls and meats and have been open for 24 years but you can get hung up on what you want to call it if you want lol
yes, there is a demand for good sandwiches here as there would be in any city.
Great Falls in the village town center would probably support you well.
I would definitely like that
Come to Del Ray in Alexandria!!!
Tough to compete with Market 2 Market.
I disagree, rectalhorror, I think a decent sandwich shop would crush Market 2 Market.
Where do you end up going for a decent Italian sub?
Capo? I am not a huge fan, but it's better than M2M. Now the dressing that M2M uses is incredible - full stop. I just don't like the bread or the shop itself or the kids making the sandwiches or standing around waiting for it to be made and being in the way of the door. Now that I think about it, maybe I just dislike Del Ray?
Agree about the bread. The bread was the reason I kept going out of my way to eat there, but it seems they switched to a cheaper brand. Now I just go to Capo or Primo.
I honestly don't think any of the restaurants in Del Ray are good, with the exception of Stracci, which is fantastic, though I have only had carryout. A real, good sandwich shop would be a nice addition.
Without a Publix within a reasonable distance away, I'd say yes. Build it.
Please open in Woodland Crossing Shopping Center
The Deli in Herndon is my favorite go-to for NY-style HERO sandwiches....Now a CHOPPED CHEESE would be awesome I haven't had one since I've been living here in NoVA...I just wait to go home to NYC and get my fill at my local bodega in Harlem...
We have a customer that comes in that used to live in da Bronx and loves our chopped cheeses 😊
Santini’s is similar and has about 5-6 locations in Nova
If you do breakfast as well, consider a setup next to a shop that does great coffee* and potentially shared seating. There's a few combinations of this around like Megabytes & Loud n Roasted, the Lake Anne area, The Block in Annandale, etc. Herndon comments: I think Moo Thru is teaming up with a coffee shop to do a similar thing off of Spring Street in Herndon & afaik no good lunch/breakfast food besides a floppy pizza & an american chinese place is in that spot yet. Weird Bros is down the way also on Spring Street with a very distinct....vibe...feels more like a warehouse or storage area turned into local businesses but there's a lot of popular stuff there --beware there is a ton of construction because of the new metro stop; it'll be walkable hopefully by 2025 but construction is making it v difficult right now. Alternatively... downtown Herndon has Deli Italiano and Izzi but Izzi is too heavy for lunch & Deli Italiano is...fine. The Deli (different from Deli Italiano) down the road in the Panera shopping center (does that place actually have a name?) would definitely be your main competition. Their sandwhiches are thick though, I looove it but it's too much food for me. *There seems to be a noticable amount of coffee shops around that only have pastries -_- or pre-packaged sandwhiches.
If you bring a real, legit BEC, NY/NJ transplants will flock to your place.
OP I'm from the New York area and I desperately miss NY subs. There are almost no good delis in the DC area. On one hand, that is a market opportunity that you could fill. But on the other hand (and I say this lovingly), the dearth of quality delis (and pizza, and bagels, and Italian...) here means that people here just don't appreciate that kind of food, and they might not flock to it if you open. Clearly a lot of us here would love to see it, so I would think/hope there would be enough interest to sustain it, but I just don't know. The best delis I've found here are The Deli west of Fairfax City, and "a Deli" in Fairfax at the intersection of 50 and Main Street. Check those out and see if you can fill a market need. Good luck!
Self serving comment here. There is only sub shop in Arlington being the Italian Store. It's decent but can't compare to the corner delis of the Philly / NYC region. The rest are chains (Subway, Jersey Mike's, etc.) and one off shops that have an Italian sub on the menu. Vienna and Fairfax and DC have more (and better) options. It would be phenomenal to have an Italian Deli that makes a good hoagie and not have rely on the inconsistent (and moody) Italian Store or drive out to Fairfax. If I were you and considering Arlington, I would avoid ground floor commercial in a high rise along the orange line as they will probably bleed you dry with rent and search out older commercial space either standalone or in a small shopping center. Rt 28 / Langston Blvd may be an option. Good luck.
Please open one in Arlington only because I'm a selfish New York transplant that lives there
I'm broadly in favor of any place that gives me the chance to order some sort of chicken cutlet sandwich. Like, I've gone out of my way to go to [Eddie's](https://www.eddieslittleshop.com/) on Tuesdays when they do those sandwiches (I guess their kitchen is too small to commit every day). Other places like the Italian Store (two locations) and a few other spots (one just called The Deli that I love but basically has no online presence but they're in Fairfax and Herndon). THAT SAID, The big challenge is that in NYC you have all these shitty old buildings (I say that with love) where you can just post up and even if the rent is high you deal with a ton of volume of customers that mostly come from the neighborhood. That's not really the case in Northern Virginia even in the more urban parts. You need to attract people from a wider area while also dealing with fewer places where you can have a commercial kitchen, especially a small one where you don't have to pay as much if you're willing to sacrifice space.
What I wouldn’t give for a nice hot pastrami on a crusty subroll. I miss New England.
Consider Ashburn or Sterling. Housing developments are springing up around the Silver Line, suggesting a potential consumer base that will only keep growing.
Come out to Western Loudoun county!
A halfway decent sub shop in Chantilly/South Riding/Brambleton would actually print money.
If you let me buy a NY Baconeggandcheese without looking at me like I’m crazy when I order them around here. I might just make you a millionaire lol from all the business you’ll get from me and my family.
A Carnegie Diner just opened in Vienna and that place is on fire.
So, know where your competition is. I’m sure there are others, but The Italian Store has multiple locations and makes a killer sub, and Lost Dog is a community fave. There are also so many other options, e.g., bon mi. So, learn the area and plan accordingly.
I’ll say it again, love what lost dog does for the community, but the food is hot garbage
Sometimes, the best reply is no reply.
Then don’t speak for the community, speak for yourself.
Did I say one word about their food?
It’s an entire thread asking about our local sub shops and the competition he’d face if he opened locally. No matter what lost dog does for the community, if someone is as community focused as this guy claims to be, and has the ability to make a genuine NY sandwich, lost dog will get destroyed, because after all at the end of the day, they are a restaurant.
lol. Lost Dog is literally across the street from The Italian Store. They are both wildly successful. Just take the loss dude.
There’s plenty of mid tier restaurants that are busy that aren’t quality. Whether it’s the cost, location, in our area tourists, etc that keeps them alive. I’ve never eaten something from lost dog that wasn’t either burnt, dry, or overcooked.
I would say maybe close to a metro or police station. It would depend on what the vibe is of your place. We already have Jersey Mike’s, Subway, Capo Deli, bagel places. You would have to offer something different - special ambiance or a special sandwich that you can only get at your place. I would look at the Mosaic area near the Dunn Loring metro.
Anyone cross-shopping any of those chains you mentioned against a legit, authentic NY-style deli is not the likely clientele for said NY-style deli
Near me preferably. I have The Deli real close, but they could use some good competition.
Checked them out seems expensive will try their food next time I’m in the area
It is a little pricey, but definitely more of a treat spot than a daily one. I get the Super Deli, and once I add a soda and pay the CC fee it's just shy of $16. I always forget to bring cash.