Center Grove’s First Which Wich Opens
Writer / Michelle Kaufman
Photographer / Brian Brosmer
Center Grove’s first Which Wich restaurant, a customized sandwich shop that offers more than 50 ingredients, opened May 15.
The new location is owner Lee Kleiner’s third, but his plans to open on the Southside were always on his radar. He struggled to find the right spot for his restaurant but eventually decided on State Road 135, near the McNamara Florist shop.
Kleiner has been in the franchise business for 16 years, and his family would frequently visit the Which Wich by their house. His kids enjoyed the menu.
“Anytime I could get them not eating chicken fingers and French fries, I’d go [to Which Wich],” Kleiner says. “It was a natural fit for me. My kids liked it, I did research on it, I’m already in the franchise business, so it worked out well.”
Which Wich offers three sizes of sandwich- 7, 10.5 and 14 inches as well as 13 varieties of chips, including a salt-and-pepper house kettle chip. There are nine standard sandwiches, such as a gyro or Philly Cheesesteak that customers can order or make their own custom sandwich. Which Wich’s signature sandwich is the Wicked, which comes with five meats and three cheeses.
Customers order by selecting a brown paper bag and marking their order on the bag with a red Sharpie. The sandwich will be served in the same bag that the customer ordered from. Kids order their sandwiches the same way but mark the bags with a red crayon.
“We have two type of customers — you have the kind of customer that they want to get their bag and get out of here, be quick,” Kleiner says. “You get your bag, you get your red Sharpie marker, you mark your wich as we call them, and you get out of here. Or there are people who are a little more customized. You come and
you get your marker, same way and you get the ingredients you want. It takes a little longer but it is your own customized sandwich.”
In addition to sandwiches, Which Wich also offers lettuce wraps, spinach wraps, salads and hand-dipped milkshakes.
Kleiner said he thinks Greenwood’s demographics fit Which Wich’s product — people who love custom, fresh food. The Greenwood location also features a prototype design on the interior.
“My other locations are not this look, but I do like this look,” he says. “It’s a little bit more sophisticated-looking. It still has an edge to it. When you come in, you’ll notice there’s a brick wall, you’ll notice some tile flooring that’s different, you’re gonna notice some red columns that signify the red Sharpie marker.”
Taylor Ingelhardt is the general manager of the restaurant. His primary role as manager will be interacting with guests in the dining area and says the interest in Which Wich is there.
“Greenwood seems to really like the idea of Which Wich,” Ingelhardt says. “We’ve had a lot of foot traffic trying to come in [before we opened]. They’re really excited about it. I think it will be good. We have a different culture and atmosphere that we bring to Which Wich, so I think everyone will love that.”
