Ross N.
Yelp
I want to give them more, but It's three stars for me. Yes, it's a great addition to downtown. Yes, the sandwiches are really good and unique. Yes, it's much-needed grocery-relief in downtown. And a beautiful interior throwback vibe, which I dig.
However, there's A LOT of sandwich deli's downtown, both local and chains. This place sits squarely on this growing list of $15 to $20+ lunch spots in downtown. It's not feasible for a Monday-to-Friday downtown worker to spend that much at lunch, at least not on a regular basis. I work downtown and would love to hit this place up every week how I do Jimmy John's.
Groceries are pricy and somewhat up-market brands. I'd like to see less gift cards and store merch and add more groceries.
I look forward to trying more of the menu. But... it's a $15 sandwich the size of a loaf of bread. Throw in a $5 bottled beverage or beer, add tax, and you're at $22+... for lunch. This establishment needs to desperately add half-sizes at half the price. Then, we start to approach something reasonable on the price point. Which makes for more regular customers.
I'm annoyed at this up-sell strategy that these restaurants have where you are forced to pay a lot but get large portions. I know they need to make money and turn a profit, but you have to give the customer what they want, and they'll return. We want affordable smaller servings. Perhaps cut the price and sandwich in half, but then add some profit to the cost and your profit ratio goes up. Sales will follow.
I love Dayton, love local restaurants, love the local vibes here, but the alignment of this is a bit off to me. Hopefully they prove me wrong.
Will surely return, just not regularly.