The submarine, aka a sub, is a staple lunch sandwich that is enjoyed by millions around the world. Invented in the mid-20th century, the sub originated in Italian-American communities and gained popularity throughout America. Many global chain restaurants like Jersey Mike’s Subs, Subway and Firehouse Subs base their business model around making top-quality subs.
I argue that one business has excelled beyond the rest at delivering these top-quality subs: Which Wich.
Which Wich, a national chain, was a sub shop located in McAlister Hall that served a variety of sub sandwiches. Products could be purchased for Paw Points or traditional currency. Throughout my last few years at Clemson, since I was a freshman, Which Wich has been a core part of my daily lunch rotation.
But this year, much to my dismay, I found that Which Wich had been replaced by a Clemson favorite, Sully’s Steamers.
Sully’s Steamers offers various bagel sandwiches, but with a twist: the bagels are fully
steamed. This technique results in an interesting take on bagel sandwiches; instead of a crispy outer shell with a soft interior, pretty much the entire sandwich is soft. While this may be preferable to some, to a person who has grown up around homemade bagels and bagel sandwiches, fully steaming a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich feels sacrilegious.
In addition, Sully’s is known for its downtown Clemson location within walking distance — unlike the other Which Wich in Clemson — and is notorious among students for staying open late and providing late-night food to downtown patrons.
Replacing Which Wich with Sully’s just feels … odd. I can recognize why people enjoy Sully’s, even though I tend to be in the mood for it sometimes. But it feels quite out of place in the core area of campus. Sully’s is known for being open late; I don’t know many people who consider it their primary breakfast and lunch option. I could see a lot of students opting for one of the many other establishments on campus, as Sully’s just doesn’t feel like it fits into the genre of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If there were to be another restaurant to replace Which Wich, I would argue a local restaurant such as Groucho’s Deli would fit much nicer in the space. A place with a clear meal type would fit much better. While I may enjoy Sully’s on occasion, I will always miss Which Wich.
Jack Kinder is a senior sociology major from Ocala, Florida. Jack can be reached at [email protected].
