Yella's Family-Owned Sandwich Shop To Expand, Open In Somerset County

WARREN, NJ — The family-owned sandwich shop Yella's is expanding to open its first Somerset County location in Warren Township.

"We signed the lease last month and should be starting construction in a few weeks," said John Kim, Yella's Director of Operations to Patch. "We hope to open by late spring and early summer."

The new location will be opening at 10 Independence Blvd. inside the new retail center.

Danielle Lorenzo, who heads up marketing for Yella's, is a fourth-generation and great-granddaughter of Grandpa "Yella," who got his name for being a caller to dancers in the 30s and 40s. He was always yelling and screaming to get people to the dance floor and the nickname stuck.

"We started as a deli meat and cheese distributor in 1967. Our business then morphed into food manufacturing, with a heavy focus on grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, wraps, etc. The first Yella’s opened in the early 2000’s in North Bergen, but had to close because our grab-and-go business was rapidly growing and we needed the extra kitchen space," said Lorenzo.

Then about three years ago, Yella's rebranded themselves to come back and open in Hawthorne. Now they are expanding into Somerset County.

"We are focused on our values, quality, and commitment to the community," said Lorenzo. "We offer quality ingredients and nostalgia."

"The atmosphere is a mix between old school retro with a modern twist," said Kim. "It's like going back to its 50s and 60s roots with a redesign and a modern twist. We still offer classic items both from a food and music perspective with a fun, inviting decor and fun milkshakes."

The menu offers a variety of burgers, sandwiches, wings, milkshakes, and desserts. Their signature sandwiches are named after family members and people from the old neighborhood and all tell a story. The Uncle Charlie, The Uncle Pat, The Grandpa Joe, The Benny Brown, The Lombardi, The Uncle Babe to name a few.

"Uncle Charlie was Yella's brother, and my great-uncle. The Uncle Charlie sandwich (ham, turkey, roast beef, Swiss, coleslaw and Russian dressing on sliced rye), is a take on a 'new Jersey sloppy Joe,' his favorite sandwich that they would make on Sunday as a late-night snack after our big family dinners," said Lorenzo.

The new location will also offer catering.

To learn more about Yella's or to follow them for construction and opening updates visit yellas.com or facebook.com/yellas.original or instagram.com/yellas_original.

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