FLATIRON — Smorgasburg vendor Bombay Sandwich Co. is opening its first brick-and-mortar cafe in Flatiron next month, featuring its signature sandwiches as well as Indian-inspired smoothies.
The 10-seat quick-serve eatery will launch at 48 W. 27th St in mid-November, featuring vegetarian sandwiches with Indian flavors including one stuffed with spaghetti squash, kale and walnut pesto. Also on the menu is an almond smoothie, seasoned with turmeric and honey.
The cafe will open a year after the company debut at the Brooklyn outdoor food market.
“We started at Smorgasburg last year, and we’ve been getting lots of love,” said Shikha Jain, 31, who owns the company with her husband Shiv Puri, 33.
“We started getting catering orders and realized there’s a huge market out there, outside of Smorgasburg.”
Jain is an actress living in Williamsburg, and her husband recently left a job in finance to pursue a more creative career in food. That’s when they came up with the idea to serve authentic Indian dishes in sandwich form.
“I grew up eating these sandwiches in India, and realized there really isn’t this style of food available in this country,” Jain said.
The sandwich company will offer additional sandwich choices, wraps, salads and smoothies at the new cafe.
Most offerings will be vegan, and there will be some gluten-free options as well, said Jain, who has been vegetarian her whole life.
One new salad that will be introduced when the cafe opens is the organic zesty salad, made with quinoa, dates, cardamom, lemon zest and almonds.
A new sandwich called Chana Masala will also be available, made with stewed chickpeas, apple and tamarind chutney on a hero.
“Everything is homestyle and simply cooked,” Jain said. “You can feel that it’s nourishing and good for you.”
