Downtown Miami was graced with the beloved, Dallas-born sandwich shop Which Wich (91 NW First St.) this past May, and now the franchise's second South Florida location is slated to open the first week of August in Downtown Dadeland (8880 SW 72nd Pl.).
Michael Fili, president and CEO of Fortune Management and the man behind Miami's new sammies, was drawn to the franchise after his picky, food-loving grandfather fell in love with the place after visiting a location in Raleigh, North Carolina. "My grandfather doesn't like many things," jokes Fili. "He always has an opinion about everything, so impressing him is really hard. When he told me he went to a Which Wich and fell in love, it really peaked my interest."
Soon after Fili and his team took a look at the brand, met with staff, visited a location, and, of course, tried a signature sandwich. "We were all really impressed with Which Wich," says Fili. "And there was an open market here, and because we believed in the brand we took the opportunity."
It took about a year to open the first Miami franchise, and since its May 4 debut, business in the downtown location continues to rise. "Everyone loves it," says Fili. "We have a super strong lunch crowd, and we've already been recognized for superior service. People just really seem to like it."
For on-the-go customers, the downtown location offers online ordering from any electronic device, with the option to either pick up your customized sammie or have it delivered. "Not all Which Wich locations participate in online ordering, but we made it our mission because we know how people have such limited time," says Fili. "We're all about getting people the food they want in a reasonable time."
If you've never stepped into the yellow-colored eatery, you're first greeted by brown-paper bags and counters where you grab a red Sharpie and fill out a pseudo questionnaire. That then tells the guys at Which Wich which sandwich you'd like and exactly how you want it. And if you're tempted to doodle on your brown sandwich bag, Which Wich welcomes that too. "When you come in it's just really fun," says Fili. "Our music is great and our staff is great. We get you going the second you walk in and wanted to make sure we extended the same service for those who can't come in and sit with us."
For first-timers, Fili recommends a Miami favorite, the Cuban sandwich. But if you want to get creative, you can choose from a variety of sandwich sizes; specialty meats like turkey, sriracha tuna, and beef cheesesteak; and then add basically anything you can think of on it, from mozzarella to parmesan, sweet chili to hummus, and avocado, spinach, and lettuce, Which Wich isn't a place for the indecisive.
With the opening of the Dadeland locale around the corner, Fili looks forward to opening more Wich eateries in the future. "The deal we signed says we need to open five locations, so you'll definitely see more of us," says Fili. "The goal is to give everyone in South Florida access to a Which Wich."
And for anyone in Doral, consider yourself lucky because Fili says there's a "99.9 percent probability" that Doral will be their next location sometime in the next year.
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