Tommy’s Sandwiches
Hospitality Concept | New Product Development | Kitchen Design | Launch & Mobilisation
“Big, Beautiful, Sandwiches”
Tommy’s Sandwiches started with a clear ambition: to create a London sandwich shop inspired by the best of US deli culture, but built for the UK’s grab-and-go lunch habits, shaped by supermarket meal deals and the rhythm of the working week. Rather than copying American classics, Tommy’s brings together the best of US and UK food culture. Familiar favourites are reworked into something that feels right for London today.
What does generous look like in a London context? What bread format holds structure without feeling heavy? Our role was to turn that ambition into a clear, workable food concept, ready to open as a proof of concept with the foundations to scale.
Brand concept strategy and positioning
Menu architecture and recipe development
Commercial modelling and procurement strategy
Kitchen design, operational workflow and fit-out support
Technical standards, food safety and team training
Bespoke NPD development
Full menu product shoot, launch activation photography
Launch mobilisation and post-launch support
The Opportunity
The ambition was to create a sandwich-led concept that felt generous, distinctive and built for repeat weekday trade. That meant developing bread formats that held structure without feeling heavy, fillings that delivered on quality, and a menu that balanced creativity with operational simplicity.
Bread was always going to be the USP and the point of difference. While tiger bread is familiar in the UK, Tom was set on introducing the West Coast classic, the Dutch Crunch, as the foundation of the concept. It was central to Tommy’s core values and quickly became the biggest technical challenge to solve.
Our role was to lead the R&D in-house, testing and refining the recipe. From there, we identified and vetted bakery partners across London, building a relationship with a manufacturer capable of producing the bread consistently at scale. This was not simply a case of handing over a spec, but working closely together to ensure the bake, finish and delivery model worked for Tommy’s day-to-day operation.
Understanding London’s Lunch Landscape
London’s sandwich market is crowded, but much of it sits at either end of the spectrum. On one side, supermarket meal deals built for price and speed, often compromising on ingredient quality and originality. On the other, premium delis and bakeries that prioritise craft but often operate at a slower pace and higher price point. There is limited space in the middle for a sandwich that feels generous and quality-led, yet still built for weekday frequency.
Through benchmarking and structured market research, it became clear that portion size alone was not the differentiator. Build quality, flavour balance and ease of eating mattered more. A sandwich that looks impressive, feels balanced and satisfying, and keeps you energised throughout the working day.
By making Dutch Crunch the hero, Tommy’s could create immediate distinction in a familiar category. The opportunity was not to be louder, but to focus on quality, creating a sandwich that felt substantial without becoming impractical, and premium without losing the pace of weekday lunch trade.
Our Support
We supported Tommy’s from early concept development through to launch mobilisation in King’s Cross.
We began by shaping the concept identity around a USP bread proposition, developing the Dutch Crunch recipe in-house and stress-testing it for structure, texture and service performance.
Moving into supply chain and procurement, we identified and trialled bakery partners across London, negotiating production formats and bake specifications before establishing a long-term manufacturing relationship aligned to Tommy’s needs.
In parallel, we developed the full menu range, defining portion weights, assembly logic and prep methodology to support speed during peak lunch service. Commercial modelling defined the menu decisions, ensuring pricing, margin and ingredient sourcing worked cohesively from day one.
Our support carried through to kitchen planning, technical standards, food safety documentation and on-site launch readiness, ensuring the transition from development kitchen to live counter was controlled and operationally scalable.
The Results
Tommy’s Sandwiches opened its first site in King’s Cross in January 2026, launching with a clear point of difference and a product built to perform in real lunch trade. The response was immediate. The Dutch Crunch and his ‘Big, Beautiful, Sandwiches’ gained strong traction across social media, generating significant visibility and queues from week one.
However, the ambition was never short-lived virality. The goal was to build a sandwich shop designed for longevity, grounded in quality, consistency and repeat weekday trade. With a proven bread supply model, a commercially sound menu and an operation designed to handle volume, Tommy’s now has a foundation to grow beyond its first site and continue reshaping London’s sandwich scene with its take on US deli culture.
“The first time I spoke to Amir, he said, it's not whether there's a gap in the market, it's whether there's a market in that gap." From that moment, I knew I wanted to hire Good Food Studio. It was clear they weren't interested in working on something they didn't believe in, and that they'd be honest and direct with me, which is absolutely necessary when you're opening a restaurant. You can’t work with yes men.
Over almost two years of working together, they filled every knowledge gap I had and worked hard to fill any they had themselves. They're like water, filling whatever space needs filling. For me, the most value came around menu development, both from a taste and operations perspective. There were moments I started to freak out. Every conversation with GFS brought me back to earth.
Beyond the technical ability, they're genuinely great people. I consider all of them friends, and I think that matters more than people realise. GFS is a must-have partner when you're opening a restaurant. I would've been lost without them.”
— Tom Ady, Founder, Tommy’s Sandwiches