Simply Sandwiches’ club sandwich with turkey, ham, bacon, tomato, mustard, lettuce and mayonnaise.LaFayette’s Simply Sandwiches creates one-of-a-kind sandwiches and soups, but also traditional styles.
“Sometimes we have crazy soups that you would never imagine would be good, but it’s good,” said Simply Sandwiches owner Mary Ann Walling. “We try to mix it up and shake it up some. My favorite thing to eat here is the Caribbean Black Bean Soup topped with fruit salsa. It sounds crazy, but it’s the best stuff. I like all the sandwiches and all the salads.”
Walling has worked in the food service industry for years. Last fall, her husband Robert suggested she be her own boss. The couple lives in LaFayette with their two daughters.
“God sat this restaurant right in my lap,” said Mary Ann Walling. “I love the people that come in here.”
She said she has been cooking at restaurants her entire life, adding that she learned to cook meatloaf at age 7.
One of the top-sellers at Simply Sandwiches is the TBS with turkey, bacon, red onions, strawberry jam, two cheeses and mayonnaise, she said. Another popular sandwich is the Holland panini with barbecue pork, bacon and a homemade Gouda macaroni and cheese with caramelized onions.
“We are constantly thinking of something new to make, whether it’s soup or sandwiches,” she said. “We serve specialty sandwiches. We make paninis, toasted sandwiches, homemade soups, fresh salads and a dessert every day, from cobblers to pies.”
Everything is made on-site, said Walling. “The chicken salad, pimiento cheese, Southern potato salad, spicy red potato salad and pasta salad is all homemade. We sell it by the pound or on the side.”
The shop also caters events with the help of staff member Amy Hogue.
Walling’s daughter Sara, who is a senior at LaFayette High School, helps in the shop in the mornings and after school.
Daily lunch specials are posted by 10:30 a.m. every morning, said Walling, and the business takes call-in orders.
“We love our customers,” Walling said. “We have new people come in every day. We try to make everyone feel at home that comes through the door. We have a lot of foot traffic through here by the restaurant. I don’t want anyone to go hungry, so I keep an eye on the less fortunate around.”
Located at 300 W. Patton St., Simply Sandwiches is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.