This cult-favourite sandwich shop is giving away 200 free subs on Saturday
You may want to get in line now for these on-the-house hoagies
Two things have a serious choke hold on Toronto’s food scene: sentimentality and sandwiches. Grandma Loves You, a family-run sandwich counter, has built a mini empire on both. On February 21 at noon, the chain is opening its sixth location at King and Strachan, and to celebrate, they’re giving away a slew of sandwiches—210 of them, to be exact—after a stately ribbon-cutting ceremony.
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In 2020, German couple Artin and Sarah Davoodi launched the lunch counter in a (now-demolished) Rosedale plaza shortly after they moved to Canada. The name had been percolating since 2015, when Artin worked for an advertising company that made merchandise emblazoned with “Oma liebt dich” (translation: Grandma loves you). “We liked that whenever someone read or heard the phrase, they smiled,” says Sarah.
Early in the pandemic, the takeout spot went viral for its hulking hoagies stuffed with stacks of cold cuts, molten meatball-and-cheese subs, Euro-style franks in brioche buns drenched in neon-yellow mustard, and hefty sandwiches on German rye bread.
Now, after opening five new locations over the past six years, the Grandma Loves You team is tempting the hungry Pilates bodies and corporate lunch crowds of Liberty Village at their new store. Fans can expect the same menu they’ve come to love, but the opening giveaways haven’t been finalized yet. Sarah says they’ll likely have special veggie, chicken and pork options, so there should be something for everyone.
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But why give away 210 sandwiches specifically? It’s simply the opening date, February 21, with a 0 tacked on the end. The team insists that the free sandwiches are less a marketing ploy and more a sweet message for their loyal customers. “We really just want to say thank you to the city that allowed our dream to take root,” says Sarah. A word to the wise: expect a line and get there early to avoid missing out—Grandma is making exactly 210 free sandwiches, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.
Lindsey King is a Toronto-based writer and editor whose work can be found in Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canada’s 100 Best and more. She is interested in arts and culture, food and drink, architecture, design, and real estate stories
