Grab & Go Subs, a local sandwich shop founded in 1973 by Vincenzo “Mimmo” Gaglio, is preparing to open a new location in Little Italy at 801 Hawthorne St.
The company’s seventh location is set to open in the former home of Starbucks, according to documents submitted to the San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality. This is a massive accomplishment for Grab & Go Subs, considering its original location was found around the corner in the current home of Swagyu Burger & Butcher Little Italy by Swagyu Cattle Co. The company closed its location in San Diego’s Little Italy in late 2018 after a 25-year run and opened a new location in Mission Hills and other parts of San Diego. Now, after seven years, Grab & Go Subs is returning to Little Italy.
Grab & Go Brands CEO Julio Cesar Pantoja tells What Now San Diego that this location is currently in the construction of permitting phase and couldn’t provide an exact opening date, but said it will likely open in Spring 2025. The company, which also operates Mimmo’s restaurant in Little Italy and Hungry Lu’s in Ocean Beach, will expand its offerings with this new location at the corner of Kettner Boulevard and West Hawthorn Street. Pantoja tells What Now that this location will also serve beer and wine in the afternoon, with a full cafe in the morning, serving espresso and other delicious coffee options.
This journey to land in Little Italy has been quite the journey for the company. After its lease ended at its site on India Street, the sandwich company expanded elsewhere. Eventually, Swagyu Burger & Butcher landed in the space, and Grab & Go Subs grew throughout San Diego. Then, last year, Starbucks reached out to Grab & Go Subs to see if the company would be interested in taking over its space so that it could return to Little Italy. Now, the company is just a few months away from doing so.
“We were outbid to purchase the site for $5.1 million,” Pantoja tells What Now San Diego. “Consequently, we had no choice but to close down after the sale was finalized by the winning party. However, the new developer faced financial difficulties in financing the project. Two years later, they put the site up for lease, and Swagyu secured a short-term lease while the development team sought funding.”
