A new sandwich shop is getting ready to open its doors on Allisonville Road in Indianapolis, bringing a deli-inspired menu and a built-in catering operation to the city's north side. Annie's is projected to open in early November at 6221 Allisonville Road, serving chef-driven sandwiches, salads, soups and rotating hot-plate specials out of a smaller, seasonally shifting menu.
The concept comes from chef Alex Maurer, who developed the idea for Annie's over several years, according to Towne Post Network. Maurer spent 10 years living on the Jersey Shore, an experience that shaped his thinking about what makes a great neighborhood sandwich spot. He has said that delis are an institution, with many developing cult followings and being passed down through generations, and he wants Annie's to focus on chef-driven sandwiches built from high-quality, local and seasonal ingredients.
Maurer points to two specific influences behind the project: Tommy DiNic's at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia and Wario's Beef & Pork in Columbus, Ohio. Wario's itself is a walk-up sandwich window in Columbus' Arena District that opened in late fall 2020 and quickly became a word-of-mouth hit, per Ohio Magazine. That shop keeps its menu tight, built around five sandwiches, and the kitchen makes nearly everything from scratch, including its sauces, smoked and cured meats, meatballs and giardiniera. A separate account from Breakfast With Nick credits chef Stephan Madias with quietly opening Wario's in October 2020.
A Smaller Menu That Shifts With the Seasons
Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, Annie's will maintain a smaller, more agile menu. Permanent staples will be joined by rotating selections based on seasonal ingredients, the same report notes. Maurer has said eating in season matters simply because food tastes best in season, a philosophy that will show up in the rotating hot-plate specials alongside the sandwiches, salads and soups.
Those hot-plate specials may include dishes like meatloaf, coq au vin, shepherd's pie, pork chile verde with rice and beans, and chicken piccata, giving the menu some heartier, home-style options beyond the counter staples. Annie's will also feature a lunch counter stocked with many of the grab-and-go items available through Chef Suzanne's Fresh Food Fast Hut in Geist, according to Chef Suzanne.
One Roof, Two Culinary Ventures
The new space is doing double duty. Beyond the retail sandwich counter, it will also serve as the home base for Maurer's catering company. The restaurant will have a private room designed for meetings, small dinner parties and cooking classes, and that room is set to host themed dinners centered around a particular country, region or ingredient, paired with wine.
That private-dining concept echoes the cooking classes Maurer's catering business, Chef Suzanne, already runs at its kitchen facility in Fishers, Indiana, per Chef Suzanne's own site, which also describes the company's full-service catering, including event planning and setup or food-only service. But the Annie's concept is intentionally different from Chef Suzanne Catering, which is built to accommodate a broad range of tastes and requests across events. Annie's, by contrast, is meant to stand on its own as a neighborhood gathering place centered on food, quality ingredients and community.
The timing lines up with a kitchen move Chef Suzanne made during the first week of October, ahead of the new restaurant's debut. Maurer has said he hopes Annie's becomes a neighborhood place where people gather, eat and enjoy time together, a goal that threads through every piece of the concept, from the deli-style sandwiches to the private room built for shared meals.
