Which Wich

Which Wich is a fast casual sandwich concept that specializes in customizable, toasted subs, wraps, and salads. Guests build their orders from a wide range of proteins, toppings, and breads, using a simple paper-bag system that has become a hallmark of the brand. Most locations serve strong lunch traffic and earlier dinner business in urban, suburban, and non-traditional settings such as airports, campuses, and other high-footfall environments.

The company was founded in Dallas, Texas, in 2003 by restaurant developer Jeff Sinelli, who opened the first Which Wich in a former Subway space in downtown Dallas. From that single store, the brand moved into franchising around 2005 and grew quickly, reaching roughly 430 locations worldwide by 2017. Along the way it gained industry attention for menu variety and for its signature Wicked sandwich, which stacks multiple meats and cheeses on a toasted roll.

As the broader sandwich category shifted and the pandemic disrupted traffic patterns, the system pulled back from its peak unit count. Industry reporting shows a decline from about 430 restaurants at the high point to roughly 227 by early 2023 and to around 160 U.S. locations about eighteen months later. The company used that period to consolidate around stronger trade areas, focus on operations, and reduce underperforming units while keeping a national presence and a mix of domestic and international stores.

As of January 2025, Which Wich operates approximately 162 locations across multiple U.S. states and select overseas markets. The chain combines corporate and franchised restaurants and typically trades in inline retail, streetfront space, and high-traffic transit or institutional settings. The concept fits comfortably in the fast casual tier, priced and positioned between traditional quick-service sandwich players and full-service restaurants. For owners and brokers, this has translated into interest in second-generation restaurant space, food courts, mixed-use ground floors, university settings, and travel hubs where strong daytime population and impulse traffic support sandwich-oriented operators.

Over the last five years the brand has shifted from broad domestic expansion to a more selective, franchise-driven approach. In the U.S., the focus is now on stabilizing existing markets, reinforcing brand presence where awareness is already established, and backfilling within trade areas that can support another unit rather than aggressively entering new territories. The company often looks to opportunistic second-generation opportunities where its compact format and established operating model can be plugged into existing infrastructure with lower build-out complexity.

At the same time, Which Wich has renewed its push abroad. The United Kingdom has emerged as a key focus, with the chain operating two London locations and signing multi-unit agreements that call for new restaurants in cities such as Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. To support that effort, Which Wich has appointed Seeds Consulting as its exclusive franchise development partner in the UK, with a strategy built around clustering in major metropolitan areas including London, Manchester, Birmingham, and other large cities. This measured but active international buildout, combined with a leaner, more deliberate U.S. base, positions Which Wich as a mature sandwich brand that still offers growth potential in the right urban and transit-oriented locations.