April 12, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
A sandwich shop offering signature gourmet sandwiches and more will be opening its doors soon in Long Island City.
“The Sandwich King”, the name of the upcoming locale, is setting up at 47-31 Vernon Blvd., the former site of New City Kitchen Express.
The sandwich shop will offer a mix of hefty signature traditional and “new age” sandwiches, made with everything one would find in a deli. The signature sandwich, however, will be the pastrami on rye with mustard, according to Nick Giovanniello, the 29-year-old owner.
Pastrami on rye with mustard (Photo: Nick Giovanniello)
The Sandwich King will also offer an all-day breakfast menu, with a variety of bagels freshly-baked on site and typical platters like pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Other foods include wings, fries, and typical deli fare.
Sandwiches at the 20-seat site will cost between $9 to $15 on average.
Giovanniello, who moved to the Long Island City area one year ago, said the idea for a sandwich shop came from wanting more food options on Vernon Boulevard.
“I’m a big foodie,” he told the LIC Post. “Every corner has something, but Long Island City doesn’t.”
Giovanniello said his friends, not too keen on Vernon Boulevard’s stretch of restaurants, often bring food from their respective neighborhoods when they visit him in Long Island City.
“We’re trying to do a menu that everyone wants,” he said. “I’m bringing something to the area that everyone’s going to enjoy.”
The Sandwich King is not to be confused with the longstanding Sal, Kris, & Charlie’s Deli in Astoria, which dubs itself the “Sandwich King of Astoria”.
“I just wanted people to recognize what we do and what we specialize in,” Giovanniello said. “I got no beef, I’m not trying to outdo them. They’ve been in business for years and I can only hope to be as successful as them.”
Giovanniello’s shop is his first personal venture into the food business after helping his family run their bar in Glendale, which they’ve since closed, and after working as a truck driver. He enlisted the help of Angelo Mugnolo of Howard Beach’s Sapienza restaurant for his new site.
The Sandwich King is looking at a late April or early May opening.
The Sandwich King at 47-31 Vernon Blvd.
