Owners: Sam Colvin (& Michael Finegold), Earl of Sandwich
Opened: 2015
Sam & Michael, recent graduates of ASU, fraternity brothers and now businessmen, have opened up The Earl of Sandwich next door to the Valley Art Theatre on Mill Avenue. The franchised store is named in homage to the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, who invented the sandwich in 1762. It’s only fitting that a district that has a ginormous number of delicious sandwich shops can now claim a member of the nobility. We are, after all, very good at producing and consuming sandwiches around here. But before you write them off as just another sandwich shop, consider this: they are open for breakfast offering breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit yogurt parfaits and muffins. Oh, and dinner too: fresh pastas, pizza breads and stuffed baked potatoes. Did I mention beer and wine? Sam sat down to answer a few questions for me and I’m still waiting on Michael to sit down to do the same. Michael? Oh that’s right, he’s up to his elbows in sandwich royalty right now. Michael is the one in red, so at least you know what he looks like. Say hi when you see him and tell him he needs to meet up with Lori and answer her questions.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be Bill Gates. At some point I realized I wanted to be my own man, there is a part of me who still wants to be a Computer Scientist. Also when I was little I spoke French. Well, I still do, but it’s weird to think about the time when I didn’t know any English. Nowadays, I dream and think in English.
Fun fact about you or your business:
I decided to open this Franchise before I ever tasted the food. A business is all about the numbers, and even though it’s good to be passionate about your product, it’s not necessary as long as your customers appreciate it. Now that I have tried my food, I will say that it’s spectacular and I made the right decision!
If I wasn't working today...
I’m addicted to work, so I would probably still go into the office or the restaurant. Other than that, I might also be taking a spontaneous trip to Las Vegas, Park City, or somewhere new that I have never been to before. If I was given a plane ticket I would go to Thailand. I’ve been trying to get a group of friends to go with me, but it’s difficult with everybody’s schedules.
What's the best advice you've ever been given?
At the end of the day, if your business doesn’t succeed, as long as you put in hard work and dedication, it doesn’t mean you were a bad person or businessman. There are a lot of factors that go into the success of a business. Remembering this can really help reduce the inherit stress that comes with owning your own business. A lesson I have learned is that when running promotions, it’s mathematically better to give someone 10% more rather than to discount them 10%.
What's the secret to a happy life?
Even if I were to take a guess, I couldn’t answer this question because life experiences change your outlook. So if there is a secret to a happy life, I’m still putting the puzzle together to find out what it may be. I do think that there are a couple of things to be reminded of regarding a happy life. Remember that life is good and that everything is temporary. No matter how bad something may be, it’s not going to last forever. My best advice for someone else is to be happy. If you’re happy you will have more luck with every experience you encounter.
This morning for breakfast...
I drove through Dutch Bro’s where I said it was my birthday as a harmless joke. They ended up taking me seriously and giving me a free drink. To keep it fair, I will be returning on my actual birthday and paying full price.