As legend would have it, the origin of the sandwich is credited to British statesman, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. In 1762, Montagu was engrossed in an intense card game when hunger set in. Instead of leaving the gaming table for food, he asked to be served meat between two slices of bread.
It was then that the term sandwich was coined.
Fast-forward 257 years and Earl of Sandwich restaurants are making its namesake a household brand through quality, fresh, made-to-order sandwiches.
Sandwich Descendants
In the early 2000s, direct descendants of John Montagu made the wise decision to share their traditional family recipes with the masses. Lord John Montagu, the 11th Earl of Sandwich, and his son, the Honorable Orlando Montagu, partnered with Robert Earl, founder, and chairman of Planet Hollywood, to launch a chain of fast-casual restaurants.
The flagship Earl of Sandwich opened in Orlando in 2004. Since then, the franchise has expanded to 34 locations, including 10 in Florida, three of which are in Tampa (downtown, International Plaza and Westchase).
Their signature sandwiches have even caught on globally, as Earl of Sandwich has recently made hot sandwich lovers out of happy consumers in France and Asia.
Signature Sandwiches
All sandwiches are made-to-order within five minutes. You have the difficult feat of choosing between 17 sandwich options. “The chipotle chicken, club, and holiday turkey are three of our most popular sandwiches,” revealed Raffick Mohamed, field training manager. You’ll be happy to know that the holiday turkey is a regular menu item. With turkey, cornbread stuffing, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, and mayonnaise, every bite tastes like Thanksgiving.
For vegetarians, there are the crowd-pleasing caprese (fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes topped with a balsamic glaze) and veggie (stacked cucumber, red peppers, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce and feta topped with Mediterranean dressing).
All sandwiches come on fresh-baked artisan bread. EoS bread is what sets it apart from competitors. “Our signature bread is a trade secret for our brand,” said Mohamed.
If you’re watching your carb intake, Earl of Sandwich also has seven different wraps and salads.
Feast your eyes on their full menu, which also includes breakfast.
Catering
Earl of Sandwich hangs their hat on their catering business, which is in high demand. “We put the maximum effort into catering,” Mohamed said. “We are a lunch brand and thrive to be a top choice for business meetings and events.”
Their sandwiches by the box come in traditional and deluxe versions. The deluxe option expands the choice of 10 sandwiches or wraps in the traditional by adding potato chips and David's Cookies or Ghiradelli brownies, both of which are freshly baked in house. For the dessert lovers, there is the dessert box that serves 10 and comes with a cookie and brownie assortment.
Commitment to Excellence
The EoS mission is to “create raving fans by serving unique, crave-able, high-quality food in a clean, energizing, and welcome environment with dedicated service by engaging team members.”
According to Mohamed, the most common customer feedback EoS receives is for the great service by their associates and great taste of their meals. So, it should be no surprise that, for the second consecutive year, Earl of Sandwich has been recognized by TripAdvisor as the fast-casual winner of the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Restaurants. The award is bestowed upon restaurants for their excellence in quality and service.
MyArea Network has you covered for all of your hot sandwich hankerings. Find a local site near you! If you’re on the other side of the bay, check out 727area for the St. Pete EoS location. Visit 407area and 305area if you’re in Disney Springs or Miami.
Cover photo from Earl of Sandwich Facebook page
