my favorites: (all on crusty rolls)

a traditional Italian with oil--cappicola, mortadella, provelone, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and hots. (NO onions)

a nice seafood salad (not soaking in mayo!!) with the above toppings.

Fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil and roasted red pepers with a drizzle of olive oil. (can also be a panini)

not a fan of potato salad, but love a good coleslaw made with a vinegar dressing. (can you tell I don't like mayo??)

Hot pastrami on a toasted roll. But the pastrami has to be steamed rather than grilled which dries it out, IMO.

Here, we can get 1/4 pound of crab or lobster with just melted butter (no mayo) on a toasted roll with slaw & chips. I indulge at least 2-3 times during a summer season.

I'm not a huge sandwich person. Mostly, it's the quality of the rolls & meat that I find less than exciting. With the exception of the above crab/lobster sandwiches, we get much better deli sandwiches in NY than in CT.

/tricia (another non-mayo eater)

Eileen, that has always been a dream of mine too! A nice clean, bright place with great sandwiches and top quality sides and soups. Some places try to be everything to everyone and quality suffers IMHO. Do a few things, and do them exceptionally well and people will come (if you have the right location. Lunch catering to office people is HUGE business,...and you could close fairly early if you wanted to).

I go for the classics with my subs: Ham and cheese, BLT's with great italian bread, top quality bacon and homegrown tomatoes!

Reubens are a personal favorite too. There is a very famous deli in Ann Arbor (they do mailorder too!) that is just awesome. But expensive. A reuben is 13.00 ...but oh so good!

I'm sure you will get a lot of great ideas here. And I wish you luck! Sounds like fun!

Duane

Mmmmmm....my favorite sandwich is from Amoto's in Maine. I love their Italian Sandwich, nothing beats it IMHO.

I found that I like the hot (warm) subs from places like Quizno's more than the cold subs from places like Subway. Other than a lobster roll (with mayo) when I'm in Maine, I don't eat seafood sandwiches, of any kind, not even tuna, I just don't like them.

I like the cole slaw from KFC, but not many others, something is always wrong with them. Those salads are tricky, some are just awful, some are great and worth going back for.

Soups I like are the thick, creamy soups, they seem to be more satisfying, though I like a good french onion soup, too.

Good luck, looks like you'll be busy.

Good thought Duane, Zingerman's has become one of the best know deli's in the country.

Eileen, I wish you all kinds of good luck and please email me if there's anything I can help with... whatever.
When we had our deli we made everything from scratch. Our big season was summer here and we would have several varities of potato salads, pasta salads, veggie salads, appetizers, and entree's ready to heat up at home. We baked all our own breads. Heck of a lot of work!

Don't over estimate what you think you can do and be prepared for long days, no matter what the store hours are. Is this an existing business? Franchise? I think our biggest mistake was when we bought an existing business, we should have just started from ground zero.

As for favorite sandwiches, my personal favorite is a high quality shaved ham with good swiss, lettuce, tomato, a little Honeycup Mustard and mayo. White bun.

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Zingerman's Deli

We call them hoagies in Philadelphia and my favorite is Italian with oil, hold the onions. Of course the Philadelphia cheesesteak wit' (that would be fried onions)is the best of all. I can only eat one per year, considering the calorie content!

I like wrap sandwiches and I usually go for turkey. I would be thrilled to find a good tuna pasta salad in a deli, but I never have.

Corned beef or roast beef special - yum. The Jewish delis around here have the corner on that.

A blt or turkey club, especially with fresh roasted turkey.

There's deli here that sells a chicken waldorf salad that I love. Chicken salad with grapes and nuts is good, too.

You didn't mention grinders, which are subs that have been grilled, I think.

One of my favorite sandwiches from a local shop is the Jamaican Trainwreck - smoked turkey, provolone cheese, lettuce, mayo, and Jamaican Relish on sourdough bread, grilled and served warm. I think the relish is from a food service because I can't find it for sale anywhere else. My shop will sell me a small container of it though.

This shop also has a good Pear Salad - fresh sliced pears on fresh salad greens with raisins, pecans, croutons, and an apple vinaigrette dressing.

Another sandwich that I make is sliced cooked chicken breast with mayo on a toasted hard roll with Monterrey Jack cheese and salsa, run under the broiler to melt the cheese.

This salad/slaw is very refreshing and holds well for a couple of days:

Claremont Salad Recipe
8 servings
from the Claremont Diner in Verona, New Jersey

2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons of salad oil
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cucumber (sliced)
1 carrot (sliced)
1 green pepper (sliced)
1 bermuda onion (sliced)
3/4 head of cabbage (shredded)

Shake the sugar, vinegar, salad oil, water, and salt together in a large jar and pour the mixture over the vegetables. Leave the vegetables and mix at room temperature for two (2) hours.

Put it in the refrigerator over night. Will keep several days in the refrigerator.

How could I forget to mention chicken salad?

We made two kinds and at $9.50lb (that was the 2004 price)we still had a hard time keeping up with it.

Nancy

Nancy, thanks for the link. Duh. Forgot to mention the name.

We have a chain around here called Potbelly's Sandwich Works that is quite good. They are not a franchise, or weren't the last time I checked. People are lined up out the door. They are a very simple outfit. About a dozen sandwiches and a few side, chips and pop in a cooler that you grab yourself. They have the best hot pepper mix. They have it in gallon jugs. Tried to buy a gallon. Wouldn't sell it. Darn.

Anybody who has ever been in the food industry (and I know we have several here on the forum) will tell you how hard it is, and the hours are looooonnnnng. But other people do it, and if you have the desire...you can to!

Good luck. Keep us posted.

Duane

Duane, I've eaten at a Potbelly in Chicago in the city and also at O'Hare - wonder if its the same one - the hot peppers almost killed Ken - don't eat them before a flight back to NJ, you'll be sorry :)

Lisa's Deli is well-known in Hoboken, NJ. I used to go there for their roast beef and fresh mozzarella hero, with oil and vinegar. Simple yet awesome - I recreate it often. Cape Cod Sea Salt and Vinegar chips have become the traditional "side dish" for us.

My mom had a sandwich shop when I was growing up. Her two signature sandwiches were her tuna salad and a western omelet hero. People loved that! The bread is soooo important. We were upstate and I remember it took her a long time to find the right bread supplier.

Nancy - I can't believe you did all that and made all your bread!

Oh yes, been there on the business when we owned the bar, but we did full meals along with sandwiches. Lots of work, lots of expenses, long hours but we got to pick the 70 or 80 hours per week that we worked! LOL We did a lot ourselves because it was difficult to find competent and responsible employees. No one wanted to work nights or weekends or holidays, all the times we were busy. So, we worked 'em ourselves. Ah, the joys of owning your own business.

Favorite sandwiches? I like ruebens and I really like the local pork BBQ from US 31 BBQ, basically just some pulled pork which was cooked over hot coals and wood, then piled on a bun with some sweet green relish. I got lobster rolls in Maine several times on vacation and liked them, and I enjoyed the fish tacos in California, although I still think they'd be better if the fish were grilled with Jessica's lime chipotle sauce and then wrapped in the flour tortilla with the greens.

I like breakfast sandwiches, ham and eggs on croissants, high fat and artery clogging. I don't care for cold sandwiches as a general rule and I detest Subway. The hotel panini that Elery did with the iron was good, ciabatta bread with fresh guacamole inside!

Good luck, Eileen, I hope it goes over even better than you expected. new businesses don't usually make a profit right away so it's a lot of work and hours before it supports itself. Still, good food is a draw, if you can do it.

Oh, and about once a year I love a good chili dog with cheese.

Annie

We have an amazing soup and sandwich shop here in Oakville. Very small, line up out the doors. Their secret is limited choice but all of the very best ingredients.

They offer two soups a day, four selections of breads, about 10-12 selections for fillings not counting lettuce, tomato , cucumber,onion etc, one specialty sandwich of the day and two salad choices. They change it up each and every day.

Specialty sandwiches are things like Muffuletta, Reubens, Monte Cristo's, Pastrami on rye, BBQ pulled pork, Meatball sandwiches or veal on a bun with sauted peppers, mushrooms and onions, smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Regular fillings are things like, fresh moz, roasted red peppers, Italian Rosemary ham, Roast beef, a good salami or some such, aged Cheddar, one mayo based thing like tuna or chicken salad. I can't think of all else but the point is the choice was limited.

I think I need to go there now....

Eileen, how exciting. I have been pondering the same thing here in Eastern NC for a long time. We've lived in NC now for 10 years. And what's definately missing down here are good bakeries and deli's! I was born and raised outside of Philly with a bakery and deli on every corner, so living here is quite a shock. I think what is really important and have talked to many transplants from the north is the quality of a good roll/bread in any sandwich. And that is definately lacking here.
As far as a favorite, I can not get enough of a good chicken salad. Nothing elaborate just chunked breast of chicken with a little celery, onion, some herbs mixed with a good dressing. On really a really good roll or bread (of course)! Keep us posted and good luck! Gina

I would die for a Cheesesteak sub from D'Atri's in Lavale, MD. What makes this and all of their sandwhiches is the seasoned lettuce and sweet peppers. Living in South Florida you can not find a good sub/hoagie.

Annie I'm not a fan of Subway either. Just something about the whole sandwich just tastes "fake" to me. I don't know.

I have eaten at Potbelly's in Chicago and enjoyed that. We now have one in Virginia but I have not been to it yet.

The Panera in my area is very good. I also believe that one of the main keys to a good sandwich is good bread along with fresh ingredients to go inside of that sandwich. I would rather a place concentrate on a small menu with really fresh ingredients. Please don't put a tomato on my sandwich in December in my area as it will just be awful!

We also have Honey Baked Ham and they serve some real good sandwiches also along with some pretty good bean soup that they make with their soup bones. Their most popular is ham with Mustard/Mayo. combination with swiss on Rye Bread.

My favorites would have to be a really good Club Sandwich, an Italian Hoagie, a good Steak & Cheese Sub with onions and a good seafood on a crossiant.

I am a mayo. person and like a good coleslaw and potato salad but don't want either to be too sweet. I like it Country Style.

I also like getting a REALLY CRISP pickle with my sandwich.

Eileen:
You can't go all around the country to try things.
I forget where you are located and also the size of a place you are considering.
A busy loation is good, Offices, Businesses, etc.
There are many item you can prepare for Takeout.
Hero's, Hoagies, Submarines.
I don't know how they came up with " Hero's "
Submarine ? That's Good. After you eat one of them suckers your stomach sinks.
I'll stay with " Hoagies " because I'm from Philly.

Threre are a lot of hot sandwiches you can do on the grille.
Philly Cheese Steaks, (in pieces) not all chopped up like Hamburger.
Roasted Peppers and Eggs,
Pepperoni and Eggs
Italian Western

Also Take Out, Spaghetti and Maetballs.

But I don't know if you intended to have a Grille.
There might be different Health Ordinances, Permits, for cooking on Premises.
You have to check with your Local Health Office for your requirements.
Eat in, is different too ? ( Mens and Ladies Rooms )etc.

As for Hoagies, you don't have to have the meat, etc. piled too high, to be good.
Of course there are some who like that, Man! look at the size of that.
And after they eat it, in 2 minutes flat, rub their belly and belch !
That was good, What was it ???

Capicolla or Cooked Salami or both are a must for an Italian hoagie !

Everything should be laid on a " GOOD " roll ( number one )
Drizzle some EVOO on the open roll. Lay the lunchmeats and Cheese, hanging out a little.
Add whatever you like, Italian Ham, Pepperoni , etc.
I used Boar's Head ( little Sharper ) or NY Provolone.
Put in the lettuce, Onions and Tomatoes, evenly. Sprinkle with Garlic Powder,Oregano,
Salt and Pepper, Parmesan Cheese and drizzle with EVOO.

This is the traditional Italian Hoagie, I was brought up with.
There are so many Variations now.

{{gwi:1473623}}

With a long blade knife, fold the meats over both ways.

Enerything stays in nice and neat. The first bite is good as the last.
Hope this helps. Now I'm hungry !!!
LOU

My favorite sandwich was from a little gourmet bakery, on a baguette, some brie, really thin sliced granny smith apples, and turkey, very thick pieces, not thin like a dlei, and some really good dijon. The best sandwich! Also a pumpernickel with alfalfa sprouts fresh mushrooms and melted jarlsberg. She closed. Eileen, I wish you'd open up here, we could use a good place!

How about a chicken philly cheeseseak (aka phicken chilly cheesesteak)? Chicken with sauteed onions, mushroom and green peppers. The restaurant where I get them would put mayo on them if I didn't ask them not to - don't like hot mayo.

Smoked turkey on a whole wheat baguette, with sharp cheddar cheese, whole cranberry sauce and honey mustard.

A really good Reuben. Or an alternative Rueben - smoked turkey (again), swiss cheese and cole slaw. Hold the Russian dressing.

Apricot-pecan bread (or raisin bread) with smoked turkey, gouda, red onion, tomato and sprouts.

Is there anyone who lived in Columbus, OH in the 70's and remembers Quisno's (with an "s", not a "z") Subs on 11th and Chittenden? OMG - there will never be another. They had hot subs, so I've always wondered if Quizno's was an offshoot, but I 've never been able to find any evidence of that.

Thanks for all the suggestions....In my town we have a Quiznos and a Subway and although the do well I still here from numerous people that they wish we had a good type deli sandwich shop so I think it will do well. The few Delis in the neighborhood IMO are terrible...They all have "bucket salads opposed to homemade I will definately offer Homemade only salads I also too will take into consideration those of us who need a menu that if your watching your waistline they can still accompany a friend or co worker who may get a big Italian hero woth 1000 calories! I found when I was on Weight Watcher I was so limited to the places I could go (applebees..YUK...Subway...Double YUK!! IMO) I found everywhere I went I had to resort to the Turkey on whole wheat bread...So I will definately play with that part of the menu! Ill have a seperate Lite menu board! Id like to have a place then can seat at least 20-30 at tables...Im also too a caterer as most of you know so I have the option to offer catering menus to assist in making more money. Im eyeballing a established large shopping center in town that has a ton of traffic the landlord has undertaken a Huge renovation beautification and there adding on about 15 extra storefronts I know Dunkin Dounuts and Baskin Robbins is coming theres a Chinese takeout Pizza Parlor Hair Salon CVS Pharmacy and a Curves Fitness...Now to say Quinznos or Subway are coming I dont know Im calling the Landlord this week. If anyone has any really good SALADS or LITE Suggestions Ill love to look! Even Light Salad dressings would be great.

Forgot to add that the rolls and Bread are very important! There is a sandwich shop a couple of towns away that have the best hero rolls..They wont share there vendor so I will look in the back of there lot we all have dumpsters to see the cardboard boxes from there bread (and old trick I learned when I owned a Florist! HAHA!!)

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but have you found a camper yet Eileen? I have a magazine for you with a whole bunch of used campers in the area. It's pretty extensive. I will ship it to you if I can have your address.
Did you get the e-mail I sent you with all the on-line dealers?
Sherry

I wish we had a really good deli here. We can get "deli" sandwiches (nothing out of the ordinary) at some of the deli sections of the grocery stores, and we have Quiznos and Subway, but I rarely eat at any of them.

As for salads, I have never had a purchased potato salad that I liked. There's always a "mystery flavor " in it that I can't figure out and that I hate. So if you could do a homemade potato salad that didn't have that funny store bought taste to it I think you'd have a winner!

I think vegetable type salads would be a nice option, at least if I were your customer. So many people are trying to eat healthier, and most places just offer potato or pasta salads as choices.

How about something like these, or variations of them?

White Corn Salad

2c frozen shoepeg white corn
3/4c chopped roma tomato
1/2 c chopped cucumber
2T chopped green bell pepper
3T white wine vinegar
1-1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine vegetables in bowl, toss. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Pour over corn mixture and toss well.
Serves 4

From Cooking Light magazine, date unknown

Tequilaberry's Salad
From a now defunct restaurant in the Twin Cities

Dressing:
1 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip!)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 pound bacon-cooked until crisp and crumbled

Salad Base:
2 pounds bagged Dole Salad Mix
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut in small pieces
11/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix dressing ingredients until they are the consistency of heavy cream.
If needed, add extra milk or sugar to taste.
Toss together the Salad ingredients and pour the dressing on. Toss until
well coated.

Eileen, speaking as one who owned a very demanding business when my kids were very young---please consider their needs. Unless you know for sure that you will have a reliable person to run the shop on a daily basis, things like this can take on a life of their own. I had such a hard time being there for my kids, if I had it to do over again, I WOULDN'T!
I know you work as a caterer now, but that means you can take on some jobs and refuse others. I'm sure you built up clientele, but consider the hours that all that prep and being open would take.

I felt like I had no time for me, what little time I had, I devoted to the kids. I'm thinking that you are doing this for the additional income, but also for your own satisfaction. That was my motive as well. All I can tell you is that it was the tail that wagged the dog, and if I had it to do over again, with young children, I'd take a pass. It's just my opinion, but you've heard from a number of people here that you'd be biting off a lot of work and long hours.
Ellen

I'll follow Ellen with..... Do the math. You can do all the right things and still go broke.

Add up all the costs of doing the business. Then figure your profit per lb of potato salad, profit per sandwich and take a good look at how much you can realistically do per day. If you are not sure of all the math go to an account and spend a few $ to get advice. It might save you big $$$$'s in the long run.

Nancy

Amen Nancy! All of my hard work as an entrepreneur left me little cash for all of my hard work. Definitely not a mistake that I'd repeat--not only for the time it took away from the kids, but the paltry salary!

I am another that found that small business ownership was not all it's cracked up to be. I am still paying off a loan for my glass shop, and have nothing left to show for it. The hours were long and the rewards were few.

I am not saying "don't do it", many people do an are very successful. I'm saying "know what you are getting into". If I were to do it all over again I would have had a business partner to share the burden with. Also, figure it will cost you twice as much as your budget says it will.

If you decide to move forward with your shop, I am sure you'll be good at it! Good luck with whatever you do!

Linda

All of the above, hard work, not a lot of profit and a lot of competition where you are. Help is another issue, a nightmare, and family can be more of a pain than strangers...When my dad owned what is now Paddy McGees in Long Beach, , the manager took off with the money..nice guy..so everyone said! .. You really have to be there to keep your eyes on everything!

Why did you give up the florist?? Seems the hours are better, and someone is always dying, getting born or married. Seems like an easier route than a deli..Especially with the economy the way it is..
Good luck to you..whatever you decide..
Hey, did you sell your house yet??

Well, I'd feel guilty if I didn't throw my voice in here.
And I'm not trying to talk you out of it, because I know that's not possible. No one was able to talk us out of it. :)

Like Nancy said, you can do all the right things and still go broke. I'm recent proof of that one. Make sure you are in a position where you do not need income from the business on which to live. I didn't pay myself a dime for five years; it all went back into the business. If you know that going it, then you're either prepared or pleasantly surprised. And please think about consulting with a smart CPA to determine how best to protect your home and personal assets. His/her advice is worth every penny of his/her fee.

Sandwiches -- I'm strange in that I don't like sandwiches on big rolls. I have a small jaw and just can't get my mouth around them! So I prefer sliced breads, wraps and pitas. One of my favorite sandwiches is baked turkey (not smoked!) with harvarti cheese, roasted red peppers, spinach leaves, sprouts and sunflower seeds on a whole grain bread. While I love tuna, chicken and egg salad, I never order them in restaurants unless I am VERY familiar with what goes on in the kitchen.

I seldom order green salads out for the same reason I don't buy pre-bagged lettuce mixes at the grocery -- that mysterious pastic-gassy smell makes me gag and no amount of rinsing will remove it. There is a place in Reno that preps their own lettuces and has a delicious Grrek-inspired salad of romaine, red leaf, tomatoes, feta, olives, pepperonici, etc. It's simple, but because they use really good ingredients, it's delicious.

Well, I've been self-employed my entire adult life. So I sure won't discourage you, but I would echo what many others have said: it's hideously hard work, and the rewards often don't equal the sacrifices. But you already know that, so I wish you the best!!

I'm a deli freak (which is sort of weird, since I live in a part of the country where delicatessens are usually of inferior quality). A top-drawer reuben is definitely the biggie for me. After that, the most important thing is the condiments. A killer horseradish sauce for the pastrami and the roast beef, a variety of good mustards for the ham, some herbed mayo for the chicken and turkey -- these are the things that would keep me coming back. If homemade fries or onion rings were on the menu, infused ketchup would be fab!

As far as the business crowd goes, I think a 'set' menu for each day of the week is a real plus. On Tuesday, they come for the baked potato soup and grilled pimiento cheese. On Thursday, they look forward to a Greek salad and souvlaki. Once they fall in love with a particular dish, they are automatically 'regulars' on the day you serve it.

Okay, I have a really good recipe for jalapeno-pimiento cheese, a really great recipe for coleslaw (2 actually -- 1 mayo-based and 1 vinegar that is my great-grandmother's), and a potato salad with chipotle chilis that is tdf.

Do any of them sound enticing?

sm

Great advice...still pondering my thoughts...this venture will not impact our household finanace but will impact the children mainly during summer break which is the main thing that has me on the fence.

Here's a sandwich I had at a deli once and now make at home because it's so good. Dark rye (no seeds), thin sliced roast beef, dry sharp cheddar cheese and mango chutney - grilled like pannini until the cheese oozes. It's fantastic.

virginia 7074 - I certainly do remember Quisno's near OSU in Columbus in the early 70's. I've never had subs as good since!

steelmagnolia - I'd love to have the recipe for your jalapeno-pimento cheese and the chipotle potato salad if it's not too much trouble.

seagrass

And really Eileen, you are right to be on the fence. They are the most impt thing, and if you can take the time with them, do it. Before you know it they will be grown, and you will have time to try your hand at things...
In the meantime, you have the catering to keep you hand in, and your creative juices going!
We were just talking yesterday at the Christening, all the young moms saying sometimes what a hassle it is to find good child care...

Lou, where I grew up, we called them "Po' Boys". I used to go to an Armenian deli in Houston called Anton's for the best Po' Boys, and they always had a line at lunch, even though they were in a somewhat out of the way neighborhood. People in Houston will travel to get what they want. Anton's used French baguettes for their Po' Boys, although I don't know whether that is traditional Armenian.

The New Orleans muffaletta sandwich has always been a favorite of mine and it is not readily available everywhere.

Lars

seagrass, no trouble at all. I'm flattered that you ask! :)

For the potato salad recipe, go to the thread from a couple of days ago titled "Chipotles in Adobo". I posted it there. (Sorry, I'm so puter-challenged that I don't know how to link. Embarrassing!!)

The pimiento cheese recipe is very loosey-goosey and can be adapted however you see fit. The only thing I wouldn't change is using 2 different kinds of cheese. One of them should be extra-sharp Cheddar. (I use the 'white' Cracker Barrel kind.) The other can be Monterrey Jack or, if you like things really spicy, Pepper Jack. Coarsely grate a cup of each and combine.

Drain and add a jar of chopped pimiento (the large one -- 4 oz., I think?) Add chopped jalapeno peppers, to taste. (They can be fresh, either seeded or not. I usually chop up pickled slices.) Add enough mayonnaise or (horror of horrors!) Miracle Whip to achieve the consistency you like. (Okay -- I use MW. lol Maybe 2 or 3 T.)

I have a friend who adds a small (4-oz.) can of chopped green chilies. Tha's good. Another adds some worcestershire sauce. I don't like it because I think it overpowers everything else...but you might.

I recently spotted a recipe online that was exactly like mine except that they added 2 or 3 oz. of cream cheese. Sounds good! I plan to try that next time I make it.

sm