‘Which Wich’ Sandwich Shop Opens Soon In Mokena

MOKENA, IL -- A sandwich shop in which guests write their order on the bag it will be served in will open soon in Mokena. Which Wich, an international sandwich shop chain based in Dallas will continue its expansion into the Midwest when franchise owners John and Julie Shapiro open their location at 192nd and La Grange Road.

John Shapiro remembers being first introduced to the Which Wich brand while stopping for lunch at a location near Detroit a few years back during a hockey trip. At the time, Which Wich did not have many stores in Chicagoland.

“The first thing my wife and I noticed were how friendly the people behind the counter were,” Shapiro said. “The menu was a bit daunting with a lot of choices and good options. Someone came from around the counter, was super friendly and explained everything.”

It was after that experience that the Shapiros, who were looking for a change in career paths, decided that “this might be the thing.”

At Which Wich sandwich shops, customers come in and grab a bag and mark off exactly how they want their sandwich on the menu that’s printed on the bag. They turn it in at the counter so the sandwich makers know exactly how to put it together.

The new shop in Mokena is the chain’s second venture in the south suburbs after a location opened in Orland Park just months ago. It is currently slated for a July 31 opening at 19200 S. La Grange Road, just south of the busy intersection at 191st and La Grange.

The Shapiros live “just over the bridge” in Orland Park and had Mokena in mind the whole time while deciding where to open.

“John used to work down in Mokena and knew that there was not a whole lot there for lunch,” Julie Shapiro said. “So for us, we’d rather go south into Mokena rather than a busier area in Orland.”

The Which Wich openings in Orland Park and Mokena are just two of the first of what corporate leaders hope to bring a string of stores in the south suburbs and Northwest Indiana. The Schererville, Indiana location was the first to open in the greater region.

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“Opening in Orland and Mokena is a great way to start to round out the southern part of Chicago,” said Dustin Griffiths, director of real estate at Which Wich. “We are also actively looking for opportunities in Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort and Northwest Indiana.”

Which Wich is now up to 12 locations in Chicagoland, with five others under development including one in The Loop and another by O’Hare International Airport.

“We are excited to be there and further our presence,” said Griffiths. Griffiths says that in total, Which Wich has 430 sandwich shops in 39 states and 12 countries.

“It has been a great growth,” said Griffiths. “We are pacing 50 openings per year over the last three years.”

Julie says she was impressed with how the company gives back to the community with its “PBJ” program that donates proceeds to charity every time a customer orders a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

John is equally excited about jumping into the Mokena area as a business owner.

“There’s a real hometown, small town feel in Mokena,” he said. “The Lincoln-Way area really attracted us.”

“We are excited about being part of the community and meeting everyone.”

Photo provided by John and Julie Shapiro