Sandwiches carve out bigger niche

The sandwich business is booming, with $105 billion in sales last year.

Sandwich chains such as Quiznos Sub and Panera Bread grew at 6 to 8 percent, a rate twice that of fast food restaurants and the restaurant industry as a whole, said Joe Pawlak, an analyst at Technomic Inc., a restaurant industry research and consulting firm.

Denver-based Quiznos Sub sales hit $818 million, up 33 percent, compared with 2002. Panera Bread of St. Louis had $977 million in sales, up 29 percent. Sales at Subway, which now has more than 18,000 stores in the United States, rose 10 percent, to $5.7 billion.

“The low-carb craze is starting to peter out,” Pawlak said. “People try eating that way, but then they cheat. They think, ‘Maybe I’ll just reduce my carbs, not cut them out entirely. Maybe I’ll just skip dessert.’ “

Even well-known, big city chefs are stoking the trend. In New York, Tom Colicchio, chef at the famed Gramercy Tavern has opened ‘Wichcraft, with a menu of 19 gourmet sandwiches, most priced at $9 and featuring ingredients such as marinated broccoli rabe, caramelized onions and roast pork loin. In Los Angeles, chef Nancy Silverton of Campanile serves a menu of 12 inventive sandwiches, such as braised artichoke, ricotta and mint pesto, every Thursday, which now is her upscale restaurant’s busiest night.

The concept has been adapted by the chains, which offer their own exotic combinations. “People want chef-driven sandwiches,” said Scott Davis, senior vice president and chief concept officer for Panera Bread.

The industry has dubbed places like St. Louis-based Panera as “fast casual” — basically, places that aim to be an improvement on fast food. They offer fresh ingredients, prepared in front of the customers, with a nicer decor (and a higher price) than traditional fast food restaurants.