How a back-alley sandwich drop became this Kelowna hot spot!

What started as a side hustle making sandwiches for friends during the pandemic has grown into one of Kelowna’s hottest food spots.

Rocket Subs, founded by Brandon Abbott and Justin Anello in 2021, began when the two hospitality workers—Abbott, a seasoned chef, and Anello, a bartender and front-of-house expert—found themselves out of work like much of the service industry due to COVID-19.

“We were both working at Modest Butcher in West Kelowna, and during COVID, everyone was off work and everyone was like ‘we’re hungry, we want food,’” Abbott told Sarah from 104.7 The LIZARD. “We thought, what can we do to feed the buddies? So, we started making subs, doing pre-orders and it took off from there.”

At first, the operation felt more like a secret society than a sandwich shop.

“We would prep in whatever licensed kitchen would have us, bring all the orders to Justin’s condo, and people would show up in the back alleyway and give us a call," he explained. “It was kind of a sketchy vibe. But I think people loved it a lot. It was like a secret thing, like a speakeasy.”

Their underground sub movement quickly gained traction, leading to a summer of weekly Monday pop-ups at Railside Brewing. That partnership turned out to be a game-changer. After a few unsuccessful attempts to secure a permanent home, Rocket Subs finally landed a space right next door on High Road.

“We were hunting for the perfect spot including places downtown, and we found they weren’t cost prohibitive for the kind of business we want to do,” Anello said. “Eventually we got word that the spot right next to Railside might be available and we said we were 100 per cent interested, and the process started from there. It’s almost like it was meant to be.”

Now open seven days a week from noon, Rocket Subs runs with just the two partners and a model that keeps demand high.

“It's been a challenge just to keep open from noon to three. For the time being, until we kind of work out the kinks and get a few more hands up in here, we're going to be doing noon until we sell out, Anello explained.

“We usually sell out anywhere from like 2 to 3 p.m. on a crazy day. If you want to get in and get a sub, you want to probably come between 12 and 2 for the time being.”