Hanna Iazzetta
hiazzetta@mustangdaily.net
What could be better than a meal combo? A meal combo that comes with a cookie, perhaps.
Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop, a deli chain based in the Bay Area, is bringing that offer to San Luis Obispo by Friday, according to Eric Ebeling, co-owner of the San Luis Obispo location.
“We’re going to be a great addition to the other sandwich places in SLO,” Ebeling said.
Ebeling said he is excited to open the shop — starting with a “soft opening” today and tomorrow — after a month and a half of preparations. He also said the new San Luis Obispo location will be implementing a Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop first: delivery orders. Deliveries will cost an additional 50 cents per item and can be made within a radius stretching from Cal Poly to downtown San Luis Obispo, Ebeling said.
The restaurant, known for its gourmet meat and San Francisco-style bread, offers a variety of sandwiches and salads. The shop also provides a fresh, warm cookie on the side, according to the sandwich shop’s website.
Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop’s menu boasts many different types of bread and cheese, and any sandwich can come with “everything” — including mayonnaise, mustard, garlic sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles, peppers and onions.
The option to have a sandwich on Dutch crunch bread is one reason people love Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop’s sandwiches, business administration sophomore Alyssa Isom said.
“I always get Dutch crunch for bread,” Isom said. “You can get one of the sandwiches on the menu or make your own. I usually get the works without mayo.”
The prices are affordable and service is fast at existing Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop locations, so it’s not surprising the business chose to expand to a college town, Isom said.
“(The franchise owner) must be worried because we already have so many sandwich places in SLO,” Isom said. “I could see that getting competitive with places like High Street (Deli) and Gus’s Grocery, but I honestly think word will spread really fast about it since so many Bay Area people know about it from home.”
Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop is really popular and has a lot of recognition already, Gus’s Grocery employee Steven Vasend said.
“It might create competition for other sandwich places in SLO, but I think a lot of people just go to whatever food place is closest to them,” Vasend said. “There are enough people and students in SLO to support another sandwich place.”
Isom said there are plenty of great delis in her hometown (Sacramento), but people choose Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop over those all the time.
“There are competing places at home and there are competing places here,” Isom said. “I still think they’ll find the same success in SLO as they have at home. And if things don’t work out, they should do discounts. College people love discounts.”
The prime demographic for sandwich places in San Luis Obispo is college students, but high school students, workers in the area and families go all the time as well, Vasend said.
College students make up a solid group of consumers, but Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop caters to all ages, business administration sophomore Mike Pollack said.
“My mom likes it just as much as I do,” Pollack said. “It’s a really cool environment. Everyone who works at the one in San Rafael is really funny. Great customer service. I feel like everyone’s happy to be there and help you out and give you free cookies and stuff.”
The new Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop will be located at 1075 Olive St. and will be open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.
David Liebig contributed to this article.