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When asked why he’d start a business, a restaurant no less, in a dwindling economy, Nate Nakasatian and his wife, Katie, smile.
“We’ve been dreaming of opening a restaurant,” Nate said.
The restaurant, Zenwich, is a small sandwich shop stuffed in a strip mall on the 400 block of North York Road, but the menu is anything but boxed in.
Nate, his wife, and their four employees prepare a menu with a blend of Asian flavors and spices: Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean, to name a few.
Although everything is handmade, the prices are recession-friendly: even their crab cake sandwich, the most expensive sandwich on the menu, is selling for $6.95.
“We know it’s a tough time, but people don’t have to have a lot of money to come here,” Nate said.
Katie mentioned that Zenwich, which has been open since August, has been listed as a “cheap eat” locally.
The menu is a hit with those who have discovered Zenwich, as Nate estimated 80 percent of his customers are regulars.
The restaurant broke even last month, an impressive feat considering corporate mainstays such as Panera are three blocks away.
Nate said Zenwich enjoys a 30 percent profit margin per pound of ingredients bought, and both he and Katie, residents of Crystal Lake, chose Elmhurst because of the diverse consumer base to tap into.
“There are a lot of offices in the area, and we just drove by the location and loved it,” Katie said.
Zenwich already has sent out coupons to Elmhurst College, and also hopes to capitalize on its proximity to Interstate 290 to grab a commuter crowd.
The Nakasatians also hope to expand their catering business soon.
Should Zenwich remain successful in Elmhurst, the Nakasatians plan then to pursue a bigger dream: expanding their fledgling local sandwich shop, and opening a second restaurant in Chicago.
For now, they’re happy with their labor of love.
“Try our sandwiches, you won’t be disappointed,” Nate said. “We put so much work into our food, even the chips are homemade.”
For information, call Zenwich at (630) 359-5234.
When asked why he’d start a business, a restaurant no less, in a dwindling economy, Nate Nakasatian and his wife, Katie, smile.
“We’ve been dreaming of opening a restaurant,” Nate said.
The restaurant, Zenwich, is a small sandwich shop stuffed in a strip mall on the 400 block of North York Road, but the menu is anything but boxed in.
Nate, his wife, and their four employees prepare a menu with a blend of Asian flavors and spices: Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean, to name a few.
Although everything is handmade, the prices are recession-friendly: even their crab cake sandwich, the most expensive sandwich on the menu, is selling for $6.95.
“We know it’s a tough time, but people don’t have to have a lot of money to come here,” Nate said.
Katie mentioned that Zenwich, which has been open since August, has been listed as a “cheap eat” locally.
The menu is a hit with those who have discovered Zenwich, as Nate estimated 80 percent of his customers are regulars.
The restaurant broke even last month, an impressive feat considering corporate mainstays such as Panera are three blocks away.
Nate said Zenwich enjoys a 30 percent profit margin per pound of ingredients bought, and both he and Katie, residents of Crystal Lake, chose Elmhurst because of the diverse consumer base to tap into.
“There are a lot of offices in the area, and we just drove by the location and loved it,” Katie said.
Zenwich already has sent out coupons to Elmhurst College, and also hopes to capitalize on its proximity to Interstate 290 to grab a commuter crowd.
The Nakasatians also hope to expand their catering business soon.
Should Zenwich remain successful in Elmhurst, the Nakasatians plan then to pursue a bigger dream: expanding their fledgling local sandwich shop, and opening a second restaurant in Chicago.
For now, they’re happy with their labor of love.
“Try our sandwiches, you won’t be disappointed,” Nate said. “We put so much work into our food, even the chips are homemade.”
For information, call Zenwich at (630) 359-5234.
