Are sandwiches the next

Are sandwiches the next big thing on the local food market?

When I first read BBC GoodFood’s prediction in January that 2020 was going to be the year of the sandwich, it seemed like a far-away concept. But the pandemic has changed everyone’s plans, so in a year when restaurants are really struggling to survive, new venues downtown are adopting this model. Is Bucharest following the new sandwich business trend?

By Oana Vasiliu

Eating sandwiches as a restaurant dish has become popular

At the beginning of the year, before the pandemic took over our lives, everyone was talking about three major global food movements that would change restaurant menus: food mood, food cool, and food good, three concepts that underlined the importance of eating well, with more and more customers starting to no longer view food as a way to satisfy a primary need, and instead think about how our eating habits play a part in nourishing our soul, mind, and heart. We still want these things even during the pandemic, but now we are forced to enjoy them as pick-up meals or deliveries or perhaps on outdoor seating, although it is getting quite cold.

IS THE SANDWICH BUSINESS REAL OR JUST MARKETING BUZZ? The largest restaurant association in Romania, HORA, announced that almost 30 percent of restaurants nationwide hadn’t opened back up after the lockdown. With new governmental decisions in place – such as the ban on indoor eating – and very little financial support, anyone opening a food business should really be both brave and creative. After investing in more disinfectants, masks, and gloves for staff, restaurants are now buying outdoor heaters to keep those who are still looking to enjoy a restaurant experience warm. But a new type of food business is feeding people in Bucharest: the sandwich business.

Business Review asked some specialists in the food industry if this was a solid trend or just a creative outlet for the city’s hipster foodies. Cosmin Dragomir from GastroArt explained: “It's an extreme consumption trend: it started 30 years ago with salami and ketchup burgers, followed by bad and very bad burgers, and then we learned how to make good burgers. The burger industry exploded in our country as we indulged in good quality coffee we bought on our way to work. Later there was a vast offer and chefs came up with lots of delicious combinations. Then, we started to put other things between the burger buns, like pulled pork, for example. And it worked. Then we changed the bun for the toast. At the end of the day, what we all did was to take the menu of a major fast food chain and make it gourmet. Only the sandwich is a real street food, meant to be eaten on the street, even though now, with masks pulled over half our faces, we cannot really enjoy this type of meal. The unbeatable part of this story is that you can't go wrong. If you use quality bread, butter, and good cheese, the taste is already guaranteed. So the sky is the limit, and when I say sky, I think of zebra pastrami or steppe viper fillets.” "I have been observing the industry and studying concepts which are working domestically and internationally, and yes, I have noticed a higher interest in sandwiches. Still, this is more of an add-on than a standalone concept – there isn't a wide enough consumer group for it. (…) This is because nowadays, consumers are looking for healthy food, made

with local ingredients, usually served warm, while sandwiches are perceived as a low to medium product that is served on the go and available on the spot. (…) Of course, there are places that have a gourmet approach to sandwiches, as they are made in-house, with high-quality ingredients, but here you have to take other aspects into account. A very important one is that a sandwich may usually be sold for a certain amount of money, usually up to 5 euros, as this is what consumers find acceptable. In this context, if you want to deliver a good, healthy option, your margins could be really small, which is why you’ll need more profitable products,” said Dragos Panait, founder of HoReCa Next Root Management Systems.

Cristina Mazilu, one of the most famous food bloggers and chefs, told BR that “the whole sandwich hype can be qualified as a trend to some extent, but more importantly I think it's something we're all attracted to because it ticks many boxes. A sandwich is easy to eat, even if you're on the go, it's comforting – we all need some extra comfort these days – and comfort food is right at the top of the list, it's fast yet filling and can be eaten hot or cold. Also, as a business model, I think that a sandwich joint can be a great asset for the food industry entrepreneur. A short menu, but with a very well-curated selection of sandwiches, is easier to implement than a full-service restaurant.”

Dragos Gurarosie, founder of Cheese Up, believes that sandwiches are “a trend that will consolidate further and, in time, will generate some tasty turnovers for investors. (…) As it is a versatile product, both in terms of ingredients and prices, you have a wide range of positions to fill on the market and you can thus reach various categories of customers. Given the pandemic period we are going through, and the crisis experienced by restaurants, I don’t think we can talk about a business yet. But we can talk about hopes, plans, and expectations.”

With a pandemic for which we do not yet have a cure, with struggling economies and a lot of people left jobless, and with restaurants being hit hard by this crisis, the sector needed to reinvent itself. We clearly need to eat, even with this medical crisis in our lives. Although investments have not been very generous, some sandwich concepts in Bucharest have really taken off.

Must try downtown

M.A.T. (121 Mircea Vulcanescu Street) - opened from Thursdays to Sundays, they serve Romanian tacos made from scratch with interesting fillings imagined by chefs Alex Iacob and Cristi Dascaleanu.

Grabit Pastrami (5 Calea Plevnei) - The menu is centred around beef pastrami, a specialty that is not commonly seen in local street food.

Boboko by Kaiamo (30A Emil Pangrati Street) - Based on recipes by Chef Radu Ionescu, Boboko serves tasty baked buns with premium ingredients such as tiger shrimps or slow-cooked pork belly, as well as vegetarian options.

Toast.Balls. (69 Calea Dorobanti) - The simple toast gets filled up with amazingly good meatballs from the wellestablished Balls restaurant, turning the sandwich into a new tasty experience.

Paninaro (3 Luterana Street) - Probably where the local sandwich trend started, Paninaro is the place to be and the place to taste premium Romanian products bought from small farms.

Papila Kitchen (6 Sfintilor Street) – Although best known for its soups, Papila also makes delicious sandwiches with amazing fillings. Some of them should be eaten hot, so grab a seat on their tiny terrace and enjoy your meal.

Centocitta (12 Calea Floreasca) - Classic Italian recipes with a modern approach and quality ingredients are on offer here, introducing Puglia's traditional puccia sandwiches to the local scene.