Sandwich shops corner market

Because of your incredible knack for schedule manipulation, your classes end at noon. You stop by the ATM to overdraw from your bank account for the 17th time this month, and decide you should put your last $10 to good use. The unseasonably warm weather inspires you to take a lunchtime lap around the Corner. Ahh, spring. The flowers, the birds - and most importantly - the variety of low-priced sandwiches that can be found on the Corner.

This semester, as students wander in search of a cheap, palette-assuaging meal, survival of the fittest applies to the Corner, where sandwich shops battle to attract hungry customers. As you're walking away from Grounds, your first option is Take-It-Away.

Tom Bowe, owner of Take-It-Away, has been in business for nearly nine years. The secret to Bowe's success lies in his product. Take-It-Away offers fresh-baked, all-natural baguettes. A special house dressing - not a salad dressing - a creme-based herb dressing with spices and wholegrain mustard, makes a Take-It-Away lunch unique and tasty. Bowe's shop also offers fresh salads that are prepared daily by his salad team.

In addition to salads and baguettes, Take-It-Away has a wide selection of wine and beer as well as a variety of other interesting drinks. Bowe looks for originality in his products, noting, "If it's sold at Amoco, we won't have it here."

Bowe employs some students along with other workers. He feels that student-workers add to the character of the store and attract customers. Take-It-Away offers discounts to students on Thursdays and discounts to hospital workers on Tuesdays. Customers with a discount card receive a free sandwich for every 10 they purchase. Take-It-Away also offers catering services for large groups.

Related Links

Cafe Europa Homepage

The sandwich business is work-intensive, according to Bowe. Although he spends long hours in his store every day, Bowe enjoys his work. Take-It-Away is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Continuing down the street, you pass by "Little" John Crafaik's well-known deli. Crafaik, a University graduate, has seen businesses come and go on the Corner since his deli opened it's doors in 1976. At that time, Littlejohn's was the only sandwich shop in town.

Since its opening, Littlejohn's hasn't changed much, according to Crafaik. The menu has evolved to include more than sandwiches. The deli now offers fresh salads, baked muffins, cookies and brownies - all of which are made inside the store. Crafaik attributes his deli's success to the quality of his sandwiches, the quality of his staff and reasonable prices.

"You must have a good staff even if you have a good product," Crafaik said. "Bad service hinders success."

The University crowd and hospital workers make a large portion of Litttlejohn's business. Litttlejohn's is open 24 hours daily. Crafaik explained that shortly after he initially opened the store he decided to change its hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. to 24 hours because setup time and closing preparations each took nearly 3 hours to complete.

The extensive menu of unique sandwiches Littlejohn's offers largely was put together by Crafaik's late-shift staff. Different sandwich ideas were brought to the attention of Crafaik, and he added those he liked to his menu. He personally prefers the "Littlejohn's Special Sub" and the "Nuclear Sub."

Crafaik realizes that - although there is a large University population in Charlottesville - success on the Corner is not guaranteed. He advises aspiring entrepreneurs to "work for someone else first ... learn the good and bad aspects of the business without risk and if you find you're still interested, then go for it."

Passing under the rumbling railroad tracks that remind you the end of the Corner is approaching, you notice Cafe Europa. Owner Fotis Vavelidis and general manager Trude MacClelland agree with Cafaik and Bowe and note that students and hospital workers provide the cafe with most of its business.

MacClelland attributes Cafe Europa's success to the quality of the fresh ingredients that are used to prepare its unique Mediterranean-style menu. Aside from sandwiches, the cafe also offers desserts, salads and soups. MacClelland notes that the cafe's food "is rather healthy and fairly low in fat" because of the ingredients used and the use of olive oil.

MacClelland said he believes that Cafe Europa's location and its original style of food have contributed most to the restaurant's success over the past 8 years. To improve the atmosphere of the cafe, Vavelidis plans to completely remodel the interior of the shop over the next three weeks.

Cafe Europa always offers a daily special to entice customers. Chicken, a vegan lunch and a pasta dish are always included on the shop's list of specials. Like Take-It-Away, Cafe Europa also offers a catering service.

"The atmosphere on the corner is very competitive," MacClelland said. "Nine out of 10 times, you have to pick and focus on two of the three [service, product and price] elements and do your best with the rest."

Your journey has ended. You are a well-informed sandwich buyer, an afficianado of lunchtime fare, and - by this point - just plain hungry. You have learned that business on the Corner is not just quaint but instead a cutthroat corporate Congo. As you start walking back towards your destination though, you suddenly see the friend you've been avoiding all semester.

"Hey, there you are," your friend says. "You've got that $10 bucks you owe me?"

Sadly, you dish over the money, and wonder if you have enough peanut butter and jelly to make a sandwich on your own.

Related Links

Cafe Europa Homepage