A new sandwich shop is set to open Thursday at 1110 E. Main St. in downtown Richmond, taking over a space that had remained vacant for about two years and four months after Sub Central closed, though Fat Kid Sandwiches had leased it and never opened. Tuk Tuk Philly Subs is the work of Joy Supanya, Jon Niemiec and Fredericksburg restaurateur Marco Metry, and it's built around cheesesteaks, burgers, gyros, salads and wraps aimed squarely at the downtown lunch crowd.
According to Richmond BizSense, the trio partnered on the concept, and Niemiec wanted to create something that would appeal to office workers in the area. Supanya and Niemiec, who also own The British Embassy at 1116 E. Main St., wanted to create something that would appeal to office workers in the area. Metry brings cheesesteak chops from his time working at shops in Philadelphia, and the menu reflects it: Philly cheesesteaks run $11 to $16, burgers are $8 to $10, gyros are priced at $14, and salads go for $9 to $10. Subs and sandwiches can also be ordered as wraps. The shop is planned to operate Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.
A Space Vacant for About Two Years and Four Months
The address carries some history. Sub Central occupied 1110 E. Main St. for nearly 20 years before its owner retired and closed up shop in 2024, according to the same Richmond BizSense report. Fat Kid Sandwiches, which had been one of the original tenants of the Hatch Local food hall in Manchester, signed a lease for the roughly 2,000-square-foot space after leaving that food hall and even had signage installed at the building, according to an earlier Richmond BizSense report. Despite those plans, Fat Kid Sandwiches never opened there.
That earlier lease, reported by Richmond BizSense in 2024, described plans for counter service with seating for around 25 people once renovations were complete. Fat Kid Sandwiches was led by couple Jon Martin and Liz Clifford, per WTVR, which reported the duo was preparing to take over the longtime lunch spot. Now it's Tuk Tuk Philly Subs stepping into the gap that followed.
From a Food Truck to a Third Downtown Venture
Niemiec and Supanya's restaurant résumé traces back to the Thai Won On food truck, which the pair started in 2019. They turned that into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in western Henrico in 2021, then opened The British Embassy downtown in 2024. The pair sold Thai Won On in 2025, focusing their attention on the British-themed spot before branching into cheesesteaks with Metry.
The name Tuk Tuk Philly Subs nods to the three-wheeled vehicles popular in Thailand, honoring Supanya's Thai roots even as the menu leans into Philadelphia-style sandwiches. Metry said he and Niemiec began discussing going into business together after meeting at The British Embassy, according to the same Richmond BizSense report. Niemiec said the name pays homage to the owners' roots.
Tuk Tuk Philly Subs is expected to be the latest lunch spot to open downtown, joining a corridor that has also recently welcomed Gourmet Gang, a Hampton Roads chain that opened in the James Center office complex atrium. For a stretch of East Main Street that lost a nearly two-decade fixture and then watched a planned successor fall through, Thursday's opening finally puts a new name on the door.
