Q&A for How to Open a Sandwich Shop

Explore your intersectionality as an owner! Look at all the different angles you show up in the market. We all have levels of intersectionality, and there are different financial opportunities available, like grants, loans, and seeding partners.

Make sure that there's a compelling story attached to your brand. After all, people don't buy the brand; they buy the story. So, why did you start your company? Have that conversation ready to be had. Learn it, prepare it, know it by heart, have a 2-minute pitch, have a 2-second pitch, have a one-liner, have a whole bio—all of this content is really yours to pitch at a moment's notice. It's important to have this information ready, because you can meet someone in a random place who's ready to invest in your company at any time.

You do need some skill in culinary arts, especially if you're going to do some more advanced sandwiches. It is recommend that you have some management, accounting, and inventory experience as well if you're going to be successful. Even if you're going to have someone else do those things for you, you want to know your numbers so that you don't get taken advantage of by others.

Find out where your local health department is located and talk to someone there about health and safety requirements. For legal things such as licenses, you need to go to your city hall.

Make sure that the place is clean and that all the necessary things are stocked to look nice. And makes sure all the stuff you want is in their and stocked to look nice. Add pretty decorations in the interiors. Take photos of your shop and post them on social media to get it out there that it's open to customers.

Make a small regular menu of favorites, both hot and cold, like turkey or ham and cheese, a vegetarian option, chicken salad, maybe a grilled cheese or tuna melt. The special should take advantage of seasonally available and local items, like a BLT in tomato season.

It depends on the area you select, the menu you decide. But overall you should set aside up to maximum 12 lacs to start a standard sandwich cafe.

An actual figure depends how big your shop is going to be, and how many customers you want to come. If you want a big crowd of people, consider saving up, getting an investor, or, if you think you can, taking out a loan. If you can, try to buy a bakery that already has all the equipment set up, as that will save you an enormous amount of money. Unless you're running a food truck bakery (pretty hard to do), you'll most likely need at least $100K starting money.

It takes around a few months to a year or two; for me it took about a year. And it takes a lot of planning before you even set up the shop, from loans and government certifications, to renting the space and setting it up. And it also takes a lot of regular dedication.