A Peninsula restaurant family known for falafel and shawarma has traded flatbread for sandwiches. The Sandwich Guy, a new deli serving customizable hot and cold sandwiches, has opened at 2070 Broadway in Redwood City, run by the same family behind the Falafel Tazah chain.
The deli is owned by Louay Obeidi. Falafel Tazah's first location opened in Redwood Shores in 2013 under founder Mo Obeidi, then expanded to Foster City in 2017 and San Carlos in 2020, according to Falafel Tazah. As reported by The Mercury News, Falafel Tazah now operates in San Carlos, Redwood City and Foster City, and Louay Obeidi said he expected opening the new deli would be easier than it turned out to be.
The Sandwich Guy has been open for about two months, per the same report, and Obeidi has found that running a deli demands seven-days-a-week in-person consistency along with an array of perishable fresh items that must stay stocked at all times. He and the shop's one employee are now focused on expanding catering platforms and group orders, the Mercury News notes.
A Menu Built on Italian Cold Cuts and Boar's Head
The shift marks a notable culinary departure for the Obeidi family. Falafel Tazah describes its food as Mediterranean and says it uses Halal meat and chicken, according to Falafel Tazah's website; its About page mentions chicken, beef and lamb. The Sandwich Guy's Godfather sandwich includes Italian mortadella and prosciutto.
The deli uses Boar's Head as its main supplier for sliced meats and cheeses, serving customizable hot and cold sandwiches. Menu highlights include the hot pastrami, buffalo chicken and honey chicken sandwiches, most priced at $15.95, per the Mercury News. Customers can choose their own bread, cheese and toppings, and the shop's Godfather sandwich — loaded with salami, prosciutto, mortadella and provolone — runs $18.50. The Sandwich Guy also offers several salad options and a $3 add-on of a drink and chips.
The brand leans into a bit of whimsy with an AI-generated mascot resembling Louay Obeidi's brother, a nod the family has folded into The Sandwich Guy's identity. Obeidi told the Mercury News the goal is simple: turn customers into regulars, and regulars into friends. The shop is open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2070 Broadway.
Boar's Head's Recovery From a Major Recall
The deli's reliance on Boar's Head comes as the national supplier works to rebuild trust after a rough stretch. Boar's Head reopened its primary production plant in Jarratt, Virginia, in February under direct USDA monitoring, following a 2024 Listeria recall that involved 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats, according to Food Engineering. The facility implemented USDA Alternative 2 Listeria controls before resuming distribution.
Broadway's Pedestrian Mall and Downtown Dining
The Sandwich Guy's Broadway storefront sits in the middle of a genuine downtown Redwood City restaurant boom. Between 2021 and 2024, 29 new restaurants opened downtown — 14 of them in 2024 alone — driven by municipal economic development efforts and new downtown housing developments, according to Scot Scoop News. Redwood City permanently closed a central stretch of Broadway to vehicular traffic in January 2024, turning it into a pedestrian mall amid downtown efforts to encourage foot traffic.
The address itself has a sandwich pedigree: 2070 Broadway previously housed another deli, Broadway Sandwich Market, which closed in early 2026 shortly before The Sandwich Guy moved in, per Walking Redwood City. Before that, the space held a waffle shop and a juicery, giving the storefront a long history of quick-service food turnover.
City planners have been paying attention to this kind of small-business activity too. Redwood City updated its central commercial planning through the Greater Downtown Area Plan in 2025, convening small business focus groups to support family-oriented dining and pedestrian connections along Broadway and Main Street, according to the City of Redwood City.
A Mixed Picture for Peninsula Delis
Not every deli story on the Peninsula has ended in expansion. Just weeks before The Sandwich Guy's launch, Menlo Park's Lutticken's Deli closed its final locations after 45 years in business, citing persistent post-pandemic financial losses. The closure stands as a reminder that local appetite for deli sandwiches doesn't guarantee staying power, even for beloved neighborhood institutions.
The Sandwich Guy is a full walk-in shop on a pedestrian mall — betting that a longtime local restaurant family, familiar rolls and Boar's Head cold cuts can turn Broadway lunch-goers into regulars.
