AmericaJR.com [ FOOD NEWS: Earl of Sandwich celebrates one year at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, Calif. ]

by Jason Rzucidlo

americajr@americajr.com

WATCH: Earl of Sandwich opens at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, CA [with interviews]

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Many of you may remember the Earl of Sandwich restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor or the current one at Detroit Metro Airport. Now there is a new location at Downtown Disney in Anaheim. It opened on Oct. 29, 2012 and is considered to be one of the busiest within the whole company.

“We have plenty of sandwiches here,” said Domingo Baccay, general manager of the Anaheim Earl of Sandwich. “The most popular one is the Chipotle Chicken. You know California, they like avocado. Second, actually is the Holiday Turkey. We call it Thanksgiving in a sandwich. It comes with gravy on it, stuffing, turkey and the cranberry sauce.”

The All-American sandwich is the third most popular menu item at the Downtown Disney restaurant. In addition, the Earl of Sandwich has quite an extensive breakfast menu.

“We serve Bacon ‘N Egg, Ham ‘N Egg, Egg ‘N Cheddar, we also have fruit, parfaits, all those kind of good stuff,” the general manager added. “We open at 8 o’clock in the morning.”

Earl of Sandwich sells Coca-Cola products on the fountain machine and in bottles. However, the most popular beverage here is Earl’s Grey Lemonade, a mix between lemonade and Earl’s Grey Tea. They also serve Frappuccino’s and bottled water.

“I think it’s delicious, I love the sandwich,” said Katharine Kirk, a first-time guest from Huntington Beach, Calif. “I ordered the Earl’s Club and it was really good. It has chicken, bacon, swiss cheese and something called sandwich sauce. I didn’t really know what it is and I thought, ‘Should I try it?’ It was actually really good. I like hot sandwiches, the baked bread, it was fresh. It’s a little pricey but you can expect that around Disneyland.”

Baccay said his restaurant is approaching its 1 millionth customer, just a year after it opened. That means the Anaheim location serves more than 2,700 customers per day on average.

“This is one of the busiest stores within the company,” he explained. “As far as I know, we’re number three. We cater to all kids like a family day for them.”

The general manager hinted at two possible future locations for Earl of Sandwich restaurants.

“We have a big plan of expanding a lot of restaurants in southern California, but I don’t want to divulge it right now. It’s a secret. Just a tiny tip, I think it’s going to be in LAX, that’s the first one and then some part of San Diego.”

A Disneyland ticket is not required to eat at this Earl of Sandwich. The restaurant is outside the theme park gates and offers three hours of free parking.

“No, we’ve been here quite a few times,” said Brittany Ferrer, a guest from San Diego. “I got a Full Montagu and the Tomato Soup. Awesome. I always get the same sandwich and the Tomato Soup. I think it’s efficient how they have their system. It’s always good, hot and fresh. It’s definitely better quality than a Subway. We always will come back.”

Earl of Sandwich offers a popular E-Club program on its website. Guests who sign up for the very first time will receive a coupon for a free brownie. Then, they will get a free sandwich for their birthday.

“I would like to invite you guys in our restaurant here in Downtown Disney,” Baccay explained. “We offer a variety of sandwiches. Sometimes, we have a special just like right now. For the holiday, we have the Holiday Ham and Holiday Turkey. People tend to forget that we have that all year long, but I’m telling you that’s the bomb.”

First-time guest Tiana Nieto said: “I think it was phenomenal, it was so good. I got the Barbecue Ranch Chicken Club. It’s chicken wrapped in a tortilla, there’s lettuce and ranch and barbecue, tomatoes. The pricing is fair to a little bit pricey. Not as cheap as Subway or Quizno’s, but it is worth the price I would say. Yes, I’ll come back absolutely.”

This new Earl of Sandwich is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

“I’m very impressed, I’ve heard a lot of good things about this place,” said first-time guest Eri Lee from Aliso Viejo, Calif. “The interior is decorated very well. It has a very cozy atmosphere. The food is served very quickly from what I can see. I know Subway and Quizno’s offers the same type of efficiency, but this place has its favor. Today, I just ordered a cole slaw. It seems pretty reasonable. If I had to compare it to a restaurant, I would probably say something like Panera Bread. I’ll definitely be coming back.”

Visit the new Earl of Sandwich at 1565 S. Disneyland Dr. Ste. 102 inside the Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment district in Anaheim, Calif. For more information or to view their menu, visit www.earlofsandwichusa.com.