Sandos so good, they brought bread back in business

It was not long ago that bread was considered public enemy number one. Everyone from cricketers and actors to politicians and gym bros swore off gluten. In fact, a bread-free diet is probably the only Venn diagram where you could find Kourtney Kardashian, Janhvi Kapoor, and Smriti Irani sharing space. In the late 2010s, blasphemous substitutes like cauliflower bread, lettuce wraps, and cassava tortillas became the holy-grail signifiers of conscious nutrition. Basically, if you cared about your health, you had to drop bread. 

But thank the lord of crusts and crumbs, in 2025 the tides are turning—not because of sourdough pizzas or smash burgers but good, old sandwiches that have now moved out of the tiffin box and into cheat-meal status. Throw a rock in any urban city and it’s likely to land on a bread connoisseur showing off the cross-sectional view of their gourmet aubergine ciabatta. Even chefs can’t seem to resist a good sando—gooey, crunchy, loaded.

On July 30, Radhika Khandelwal, the chef behind New Delhi’s Fig & Maple, opened the doors to Kona, her bite-sized sandwich shop whose tender tuna melts and fried chicken sold out on launch day. Meanwhile, over the last 60 days, Bengaluru has witnessed the debut of not one, not two, but four specialty sub and hoagie shops with Sando Club, Sandowitched, Knots & Crosses, and Smash Guys. In Goa, a similar wave hit when Japanese sando shop Alag opened shop in Siolim. Then, in May, Italian eatery Villa Nova launched its cutesy The Nova Sandwich Shop in Anjuna with woodfired picks.

And it's impossible to even whisper sandwiches without mentioning Veronica’s, chef Hussain Shahzad’s doughy labour of love that remains almost as hard to grab a seat at as its sister restaurant Papa’s.

You’d think Jeremy Allen White’s The Bear put this focus back on braised meat wrapped in bread in popular culture. But most chefs see this return to bread as a direct desire for comfort and stability. “There’s a collective yearning for something familiar and indulgent, and a good sandwich brings a sense of satisfaction that is hard to replace. People are eager for no-fuss experiences that reclaim the joy of eating,” Shahzad explains. Mind you, the present resurgence may be rooted in nostalgia but it treads well past the humble Bombay sandwich. 

These new-age eateries are loud and proud ‘sando shops’ that compete with bougie fine dining in both taste and experience. Just look at some of the flavours they whip up: Sando Club’s most popular offering is a sando with tiger prawn topped with cabbage slaw, prawn mayo and chilli oil. Another fan favourite is slow-cooked lamb pulled apart in vindaloo gravy and topped with coriander leaves. At Knots & Crosses, the bestselling sandwich is one with roasted pumpkin focaccia marinated in koji, toasted soybean dressing and savoury nut granola. No chunky slices of tomatoes, onions or cucumbers in sight. 

And this decision is intentional. With the growing middle class set to make up more than half of India’s population by 2030, an increasing number of diners are willing to invest their disposable income on premium food. This glow-up extends to previously low-maintenance grab-and-go bites like sandwiches that have now been elevated to fast-casual, prestige meals where Hokkaido-style buns are served with exotic sauces, truffles, and house-made kombucha. 

“We are creating sandwiches for well-travelled eaters who already know their bread but want to experiment with the kind of ingredients and flavours that go in the food,” shares Jassil Jamaludhin, co-founder at Sando Club, insisting it’s time for hoagies to be the focal point and not just a post-hangover side dish. 

This manifesto to rebrand sandos is only made stronger by a growing desire for global cuisine that skips broad categories of Italian, pan Asian, and Mexican to go hyper local. After all, 48 per cent of Indian travellers believe food drives determines their destination, and what better canvas to bring world flavour to India than one between soft slices of focaccia? Today, you may find a Japanese fruit sando, a Korean kimchi grilled cheese, and an Indian masala bagel all on the same menu. 

Only last month, Marks & Spencer’s introduced Japanese strawberry and whipped cream shokupans in the UK to fulfil a demand for culinary indulgences that are also culturally rich. It’s not going to be long before these sweet treats sweep the streets of Indian cities too. They don’t just tick the box on taste travel but also stir curiosity and intrigue, priming them for content-worthy hot takes and ratings. 

Perfect for a picnic getaway or office lunch, sandwiches occupy the unique position of being appealing yet adaptable, and in an era of efficiency and optimisation, this trait comes in clutch. “We want food that fits our everyday needs, something satisfying and thoughtful but not too heavy. Sandwiches are flavour meeting function, and it just makes sense right now,” Khandelwal says, adding that ingredient-driven craftsmanship is making today’s sandos stand out. 

By virtue of definition, hoagies remain on-the-go and easy to eat, but that only makes the dish more attractive. After years of smoke-and-mirrors dining, where a dessert would often be lit on fire, cooled down with nitrogen gas and topped with edible flowers, the simplicity of a sandwich makes it an unassuming main character in a sea of try-hards. The real surprise isn’t the presentation but the first bite, when a hint of sweet makes the savoury taste just a little umami. And don’t you dare forget the side of crisps and fries—nothing completes a meal like that salty crunch.