Mary Tutwiler

Andoli's Sandwich Press opens downtown

by Mary Tutwiler

There’s no getting around it. We’re caffeine junkies. When Café Bonjour, the downtown coffee shop, closed in June, folks downtown started getting squirrely, needing a java fix. Well, jones no more. Andoli's Sandwich Press opened up yesterday in the lobby of Chase Tower on Jefferson St. Originally envisioned as a sandwich, soup and salad spot, owners Katherine McCormick and Gabe Soileau got an earful of suggestions and they all converged on coffee. And not just your regular cuppa Joe. Mornings, Andoli's serves a full range of cappuccinos, lattes, cafe au lait, mochas, iced coffee and good old regular Community, along with toasted bagels. Noontime, their sandwich press is in action, heating up a range of deli sandwiches heavy on the meat side, that include roast beef, Cajun turkey, pastrami, salami, pepper jack cheese and homemade chicken and tuna salads. Salads, soup of the day and Zapp’s chips round out the menu.

McCormick and Soileau are inlaws. McCormick’s brothers Rick and Ben Moody and sister Caroline Moody Soileau are all partners in the business, which is named for a pair of 14 month olds — Andrew Soileau and Olivia McCormick. Currently, the business is strictly take out, but the Moody clan plans to expand floor space over an unused stairwell to accommodate seating for 30 or so. Downtown delivery will start in a few weeks, once they get used to the heat. McCormick and Soileau are novices in the food business, but they already have a first day rush under their belts, and they are reassured that some big time restaurant folks have their back; the Moodys own the Popeyes franchise in town.

For more information, call Andoli's at 266-2325, or check out their website.