Dave's Wicked Good Sandwiches
Highland Park -- Dave's Chillin N Grillin sandwich shop will be closing at the end of the week but is seeking a new spot to reopen.
Ghaz Bazrafshan, one of the owners of the sandwich shop, said they were subleasing with their neighbor, Chops Butcher Shoppe. But that arrangement ended after Chops moved into the Fresco Market in Hermon.
"Now we're kind of like twiddling our thumbs like what are we going to do when we closed this week," Bazrafshan said. The shop's last day will be Saturday, Sept. 26.
The closure comes two months after another Highland Park sandwich shop, Monte 52, shut down after opening nearly eight years ago in La Tropicana market.
Dave's Chillin N Grillin was founded in Eagle Rock by Dave Evans who moved out to California from Massachusetts. He's helped open several D’Angelo Sandwich Shop in the East Coast before moving out to Los Angeles and picking up bartending.
Working at a beach bar for the Marriott, he saved-up all of his tips to buy a fail juice place on Colorado Boulevard where he opened Dave's Chillin N Grillin for nearly 12 years. They moved to Highland Park in 2018 after going through a similar situation they're facing now.
"You know, we've been through this before," said Bazrafshan who started working for Evans six months into their grand opening. She was promoted to manager and soon became a partner. Now, she's running the shop on with her long time manager Laurie, since Evans went back to Boston to take care of family in March.
"We were in Eagle Rock for 12 years and ended up having to leave that space because of the landlord," Bazrafshan said. "We found a new opportunity and it was bigger and better. I'm just hoping that the same thing happens and that's something bigger and better."
Dave's Chillin N Grillin Wicked Good Sandwiches
Rosemary's Turkey is made of grilled turkey breast on rosemary with avocado, tomato, and cheese.
The Wicked Vegan is made of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, peppers, red onion and hummus with wicked goddess basil dressing and Dave's Hott's pepper spread.
The Butcher Melt is a smoked beef brisket with spicy slaw
The Surf & Turf is a tuna melt with pastrami on sourdough with Dave's Hot Pepper Spread.
Spicy Italian is salami, ham, and mozzarella with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onions, pickles, pepperoncinni and Dave's Hott's pepper spread.
Dave's Wicked Good Sandwiches
Bazrafshan mentioned that Dave's took a pretty big hit during the pandemic when they had to stop catering, which she said made up most of their business. She also says their current place didn't help.
"Our locations that we're in in Highland Park, it's not very ideal," Bazrafshan said. "Our entrance is in the back of the building where the public parking lot is. You know, it's not the perfect location. I think that has something to do with the business going down a little bit."
Despite the drop in sales, Bazrafshan said she's been actively looking for a new place to relocate. But it's not been easy since some of the landlords and leasing agents she has contact have had no interest in lowering rents.
"They are basically acting like the pandemic isn't affecting us as business owners, so that's been really difficult," Bazrafshan said.
"We're kind of gaining the reputation of being the little sandwich shop that could because we keep losing our locations and keep coming back," Bazrafshan said. "We'll hopefully be back as soon as possible."
The shop is currently offering 10% off on their Wicked Good sandwiches, encouraging customers to stop by and say "so long for now."
Ghaz Bazrafshan from Dave's Chillin N Grillin
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(2) comments
I lived in Eagle Rock for 6 years and I love sandwiches. The one time I walked into Dave’s on a whim, I was greeted enthusiastically, put in my order... and then Dave spent a solid 10-15 minutes on the phone, flicking around, not making my sandwich... I literally watched the clock for that long, hearing him on the phone, sitting and waiting... eventually I just said flip it and walked out. Maybe the business is struggling because it wasn’t that good service wise. It seems to be happening a lot around highland park recently, hipster bs is on the decline because people suddenly realize they have to actually produce a quality product. Nobody cares about a thanksgiving sandwich anymore, and is that boxed stuffing really fresh? Pass
Daves at Fresco Market in Hermon?
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