In the upscale neighborhood of the West Village in Manhattan, Blackfoot Hospitality has been a leader in operating four restaurants: Little Owl, Mary Lane, The Clam, and Market Table. All operate in about a 10-block radius, where a patron could dine at each eatery and never cross 14th Street.
When Little Owl first opened in 2006, then New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni noted that it “puts the focus of dining where it belongs—on real hospitality and disciplined cooking—and it’s a welcome antidote to so much of the razzmatazz around town.” But its entrées today cost $33 for the chicken to $39 for the salmon so that’s easily around $125 dinner for two, with alcohol.
Running the show at Blackfoot Hospitality are Joey Campanaro (who has been with Little Owl since its inception) and Mike Price, with support from Andy Gottlieb who operates as its CFO. But 37-year-old Gottlieb was motivated to open his own sandwich shop, on the side, while remaining as CFO of the Blackfoot group.
Was it an itch to be an entrepreneur? Gottlieb downplays the restlessness instead explains that what inspired him was his love of the toasted sandwich, what he terms, “the alchemy of toasted bread, melted cheese, with meat and vegetables warmed up, with a perfect sauce entranced” him. What nature was to English poet William Wordsworth, grilled sandwiches are to Gottlieb.
Healthyish Sandwiches Served
Sandwell on the Upper West Side, is presenting “healthyish” sandwiches in a fast-casual setting, using its owner’s fine-dining background to offer hospitality.
Gottlieb has relied on Campanaro and Price as mentors and advisors, and while they are investors in Sandwell, they’re not involved in its day-to-day running.
Balancing His CFO Job with a Start-up Eatery
How is Gottlieb able to balance his full-time CFO job with launching an eatery? As CFO, he doesn’t have to be in his West Village office all the time, can work by computer, and can spend selective time at the sandwich shop.
So he opened Sandwell in November 2023, on Amsterdam Avenue and 79th Street on the Upper West Side, near where he resides. Sandwell is fast-casual and only has a six-seat window counter, some outdoor seating, and relies about 80% for its revenue on to-go orders. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Located near Central Park and the Museum of Natural History, it appeals, he suggests, to a robust mixture of “residential, retail, office workers and visitors.”
The shop is 1,000 square feet, but most of the space is allocated for the kitchen since everything is made in-house.
To manage costs and ensure freshness, it bakes its own bread, and relies on natural ingredients, not processed ones. Gottlieb describes its sandwiches as “healthyish.” By that he means it serves no red meats, no cream or butter, even in the bread, and nothing is fried and it uses turkey bacon, not pork belly bacon which doesn’t have nitrates and relies on kosher salt, celery juice powder, herbs and spices.
All sandwiches are grilled in its conveyor oven and it’s known for its mushroom cheese “steak” and broccoli cheddar melt sandwiches, green goddess Caesar salads, buffalo chicken salad and sides such as gluten-free mac & cheese.
Goal Is Fine-Dining Hospitality in a Sandwich Shop
In some ways, Gottlieb is trying to achieve what Blackfoot Hospitality has done at its four eateries, “being rooted in old-school, genuine hospitality,” he says. “Whether the final check is $12 or $120 makes no difference,” he suggests. “Additionally, at this lower price point, the barrier to entry for a customer to try a sandwich is much lower than a sit-down experience both in time and money,” he notes.
Consumer feedback on Yelp was mostly positive. Aaron from the Upper East Side described his meals at Sandwell as “solid sandwiches that didn’t feel overly heavy, but were filling given the lack of a protein. Would definitely return for a not-too-heavy lunch on the UWS.”
J.T. from Manhattan was a bit disappointed, finding the sandwich “bland and lacking any notable flavor.” But Andrew from Westgate, Ct. found the bread flavorful and enjoyed his buffalo chicken sandwich, and for the Upper West Side, thought the prices were reasonable.
Unlike the unique upscale eateries where he serves as CFO, Sandwell could easily be duplicated and opened in another neighborhood, Gottlieb suggests. Asked the keys to its success, he replies: 1) Continue to focus on the customer, 2) Identify the right opportunities for growth, 3) Bring fine-dining hospitality to the sandwich shop.
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