Every Mumbai neighbourhood has its sandwich stall — a wooden counter, a sizzling tawa, and a bhaiya who layers green chutney and Amul butter with an artist’s precision. When the clock strikes four and hunger starts to dance in your stomach, there is nothing quite like that butter-slick sandwich made just the way you like it.In Santacruz Market, that stall was Swastik Sandwich. Started by a paanwala’s son in 1986, it became a pit stop for shoppers, office-goers, and NRIs craving the familiar taste of home.Nearly four decades later, that 3×5-foot stall has grown into Sandwizzaa, a vegetarian sandwich chain with 20 outlets across Mumbai and big plans ahead — but its story, like its sandwiches, still has the warmth of something made by hand.Humble beginningIt all started in 1971, when Om Prakash Sharma’s father moved from Churu, Rajasthan, to Mumbai and opened a 4×4-foot paan shop. Om Prakash was just 19 when he joined his father in 1977. “The business did well, but it had hit a ceiling,” he said, adding, “Moreover, I was neither mentally nor emotionally content with the business. I wanted to do something else, but didn’t know what.Nine years later, inspiration struck in an unlikely place. “I had gone to Masjid Bunder to buy supari from our supplier. He was running late, so I stood under the plastic awning of a small hotel and noticed a sandwich counter, and that’s what sparked the idea,” he recalled. A view of Sandwizzaa’s original outlet is seen, at Santacruz west in Mumbai on 28 October 2025.(Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)That evening, he discussed it with his younger brother Mukesh and their father. “My brother was on board, but my father had one condition — we couldn’t shut the paan shop until the sandwich business was up and running.”As luck would have it, everything fell into place. Right next to their paan stall was another 3 ft x 5 ft space up for grabs. A relative who ran a catering business helped them with the basics, and a contractor friend built their stall within days. After securing civic permission, Swastik Sandwich opened on July 29, 1986.Story continues below this ad“We began with three sandwiches — bread butter, cheese bread, and cheese vegetable,” said Om Prakash. “We used only Amul butter and cheese.” The cheese vegetable sandwich, their most expensive item, came with onion, cucumber, tomato, and boiled potato, topped with masala and grated cheese, and served with green chutney and Kissan ketchup, all for Rs 2.50.The chutney recipe came from a relative, and Om Prakash’s wife, Sumitra, would grind it by hand on a silbatta until they could afford a mixer. Their spicy coriander-pudina chutney remains a hit even today, now bottled and sold at their outlets – 100 grams for Rs 60. A view of Sandwizzaa’s outlet is seen, at Vile Parle east in Mumbai on 28 October 2025.(Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)Soon, business picked up. Toasted sandwiches came a year or two later. “Our customers were our biggest teachers,” said Om Prakash. “Once, a customer suggested replacing vegetables with aloo stuffing, like the sabzi we take on train journeys. My wife made it, and that taste remains our signature even today.” Called Activity Toast, their OG Mumbai masala toast, now priced at Rs 125, continues to be their bestseller.The Santacruz Market brought them loyal NRI customers who visited every winter and often shared ideas — new combinations, machines, even tips for expansion. The Sharmas listened. A grill machine arrived in 2003; a veg mayo sandwich joined the menu in 2006.Story continues below this ad“By 2007, we had about 10–12 varieties and were looking to expand. We even opened a counter at Hi-Life Mall’s food court,” said Om Prakash. “But the food court shut within a year.”Transition to SandwizzaaAround that time, Sachin Lele, who had worked with Cisco, IBM, HP, and Compaq and had been a loyal customer since childhood, saw potential in Swastik Sandwich to become India’s first vegetarian Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) brand dedicated to sandwiches. He reached out to Om Prakash, and after four meetings, Sandwizzaa was born, with their first outlet opening in Thakur Village, Kandivali. Sachin Lele, Om Prakash and Pankaj Sharma. (Express Photo)“We focused on retaining the family’s original taste and freshness. Our sandwiches are made to order and ready in two minutes. Plus, they are very hygienic,” said Lele, now one of five directors alongside Om Prakash, Pankaj Sharma, Amit Saraf, and Uday Lokras, taking us around their kitchen that features a strong air-conditioned system to ensure a consistent temperature and no sweating.Today, Sandwizzaa runs 20 company-owned outlets across Mumbai, from Peddar Road to Thane, selling over 6,000 sandwiches daily. The menu now features 20 varieties, plus beverages (since 2015), fries (since 2020), and coffee (since 2022).Story continues below this ad“Post-COVID, everything changed,” said Pankaj Sharma, Om Prakash’s son. “Earlier, 90 per cent of our business was dine-in. Now it’s 60 per cent delivery. Customers today want ambience and experience when they step out, so we are curating experiential cafes like the one in Vile Parle East. We are also launching new flavours like Indi Mexican Paneer Grill (Rs 330).”What’s nextWhat about franchises? “We tried in 2010 and gave five,” admitted Pankaj. “But our SOPs weren’t watertight then. We learned our lesson and took them back within two years.”Are they trying again? “Yes,” said Om Prakash. “We get franchise calls almost every day — even from NRIs who want the same taste in the US and UK.”“The plan now is to expand across Mumbai and into Gujarat with a ‘franchise-owned, company-operated’ model,” added Pankaj. “We are looking for partners who can open three or four outlets and have the capacity to manage them. We are also eyeing Dubai and London in the next few years. There is immense potential for the brand, considering there is no other dish quite like a sandwich — you can have it for breakfast, lunch, snacks, or dinner.”