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Innovative upstarts: In the sandwich category, Which Wich has it 'in the bag' (Part 1)

When Jeff Sinelli founded his Which Wich sandwich chain, it was probably destined to have something a little offbeat about it after his success with a relatively unusual concept in his former chain, Genghis Grill. That kind of innovation is where we started our questioning with Sinelli.

Which Wich founder, Jeff Sinelli (center) with employees assembling sandwiches for their PB&J project.

June 30, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Editor's note: This is part 1 in a 4-part series about innovative brands.

When Jeff Sinelli founded his Which Wich sandwich chain, it was probably destined to have something a little offbeat about it. After all, his previous venture was a restaurant that specialized in that not-so-everyday culinary specialty — Mongolian barbecue — with the Genghis Grill chain that he sold to give birth to his next venture. In other words, you just kind of knew that whatever this guy picked up next — even if it was as something as standard as the sandwich — would probably have something new and unusual about it.

Enter Which Wich sandwich restaurant with its trademark "brown-bag ordering system" that is proving to be one of the keys to the chain's rise as a contender in the sandwich market. That kind of innovation is where we started our Q-and-A with Sinelli.

Q: So, Mongolian barbecue to sandwiches, huh? Why such a drastic shift in food service categories?
A: Certainly, I found success with the Genghis Grill concept, but even before I sold it, I kept looking at the sandwich industry and saw a ton of opportunity. There was ample room for a fresh approach to sandwiches, and I got more and more passionate about bringing vibrancy and innovative customization to the space. Since the very beginning, I really wanted to create not just the very best sandwich on the market, but to enhance the engagement with guests, and to create and develop a fun and philanthropic culture to bring our positive vibe to the cities where we sell sandwiches.

Q: So why have you made your ordering process so central to your chain's modus operandi?
A: The brown bag ordering system is a huge differentiator in the sandwich industry. It connects with customers because they are fully in control. They are able to order a customized sandwich creation that is uniquely theirs. However they want it, that's how they get it. We put them in the driver seat and the bag gives them more unique toppings and combination choices than anyone else is doing.
It's also fun. The walls of our Which Wich stores are lined with bags featuring the artwork that our guests have created using the bag as their canvas. It also allows us to do some great things like our summer campaign, "Flag Your Bag" where guests are encouraged to decorate their bags with patriotic and support messages for those serving our country, and then we stuff them with non-perishable donation items and thank you notes and send them to local military bases and organizations, or send them overseas to those serving abroad. The bag is part of our vibe — the culture and identity of Which Wich.

Q: When you entered this highly competitive market in 2003, Subway was reaching its zenith. Why did you think you could take them on and how have you been able to be competitive against them?
A: I've always respected, admired and looked up to Fred DeLuca (co-founder of Subway) and all he was able to accomplish with Subway. I was honored to spend time with Fred early on talking about sandwiches and branding. In fact, he reached out to me and my wife (then girlfriend), Courtney, when I was just starting and had only one single Which Wich location and invited us on a boat ride night with him and his wife. At one point, Fred called the bag ordering process at Which Wich "genius" — which was, and still is, extremely humbling praise.
When it comes to competition, we know that we do what we do better than anyone else. With Which Wich, we ended the "sandwich shuffle" — that process of standing behind the glass, shuffling down a line and pointing at stuff on the other side. I truly believe that we have the absolute best sandwich out there, too.
But we don't rest on our laurels, we are passionate about constantly looking for different flavors, textures, and types of sandwiches to meet the expectations our guests have for the Which Wich experience. Also, we've really made community-involvement, philanthropy and culture our cornerstones and that enhances the overall experience, no matter how great the sandwich tastes.

Q: How important is public relations and free media to brand growth for Which Wich?
A: PR has been very organic for us from day one. Right from the beginning I feel like media outlets picked up on the special vibe we were trying to create and we've always enjoyed a good relationship with the media. We've been recognized with some of the top awards in the industry in the little over a decade since we launched. We've just truly been blessed to have a concept and model that has resonated with those in the media, and we're constantly looking for ways to engage our guests and stand out in the industry, which I think lends itself to the coverage we've been lucky and fortunate to receive.

Q: How important is philanthropy to the chain's success and why?
A: Philanthropy is integral and the bedrock of the Which Wich brand. When I was first determining exactly what Which Wich would become, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the exciting conscious capitalism movement and establish not just a sandwich shop, but a positive addition to any community. We wanted to live up to our branding and claim that we make a better sandwich, but also aim to make the world a better place. We want to give back in communities where our guests live.
Besides "Flag Your Bag" — where we recognize and donate to those who serve our country — we also launched Project PB&J a few years ago, which for every peanut butter and jelly sandwich sold in our stores, one is donated to a local hunger-relief effort and another is donated to our global fund. My wife, Courtney, and I have always been fans of the simplicity and comfort provided by the peanut butter and jelly (sandwich) and it's been remarkable to see the difference our franchisees and our team has made with a variety of charities and groups across the country.

Q: What's the single biggest reason for your success and why?
A: Hustle. I believe in the daily grind. It's about showing up, signing every check, opening every piece of mail personally – just being deeply involved in the day-to-day and constantly staying vigilant and proactive. I want Which Wich to be better every single day than it was the day before. I love coming to work.
I still have the same passion to improve the brand as I did when we first launched, and we've built such an incredible system of franchisees, corporate team and vendors to continue our mission.
The second biggest reason is always believing that anything is possible. We cultivate a very positive attitude at Which Wich and believe that we can accomplish anything if the desire and effort are there.

Q: What advice would you give Subway or Jimmy John's these days?
A: I think it's more important than ever that every company does what it can to leave the world a better place. I would encourage any business to find new and innovative ways to give back to the folks who are supporting you and add in uplifting communities. We aren't just serving sandwiches, we're also serving communities.

Q: What's your favorite menu item and why?
A: Our proprietary vegan black bean patty is my favorite. It's healthy, nutritious and delicious. I always add some of our freshly sliced-in-store avocado on it. You get so much flavor without the guilt.

Q: What is coming that's new and innovative?
A: We can't give away all of our secrets, but I definitely have my eye on beverages. And I'll leave it at that for now…

Editor's note: Tomorrow, come back to see what Topper's CEO Scott Gittrich has to say about moving up on some of the industry's most iconic pizza brands.

About S.A. Whitehead

Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.