The story behind The Gourmet Bagger sandwich shop’s menu in Point Loma is nearly as interesting as the cuisine.
“We put everything in a bag, bag it,” said business co-owner and Point Loman John Buchhauser who, along with his family and twin brother, has operated the establishment for more than 20 years at 3357 Rosecrans St. in the Loma Square outdoor shopping center next to T.J. Maxx and Gamestop.
“In the beginning, a lot of people thought we sold luggage,” joked Buchhauser, noting, “Everybody gets their own bag to allow them to eat food here or take it with them.”
What The Gourmet Bagger sells is scrumptious, deli-style lunch fare.
“We pride ourselves on our quality,” Buchhauser said. “It’s the quality they (customers) like. That’s what I’ve heard.”
How many delis have calamari (squid) on the menu? You’ll find it at The Gourmet Bagger.
The deli used to have more southwestern décor but has since become more cosmopolitan. It however retains much of the southwestern flavor with Santa Fe chicken, chicken chipotle and Albuquerque chicken still on the menu.
“Cheesesteaks, what we started out with, is one of our biggest sellers,” said Buchhauser noting Bagger “bakes our own rolls and chocolate chip cookies made from scratch every day. They’re real popular.”
The Buchhauser family has owned The Gourmet Bagger since 1990. Besides deli sandwiches, the eatery’s menu also includes a soup of the day as well as garlic cheese bread, burgers and hot dogs. There are also a variety of salads and some of the more creative deli gourmet sandwiches you’ve ever tasted, including such novel items as albacore tuna, pesto turkey, charbroiled mahi-mahi and a “Killer Klub’ with turkey, ham, bacon and all the fixings on whole grain toast.
How the family business got to the Peninsula is an interesting story.
“I’ve been in the restaurant business since I was age 16, worked my way up from busboy,” said Buchhauser noting he got his start in Phoenix buying into a restaurant chain known then as Philly’s finest.
His wife wanted to move to San Diego after college and Buchhauser followed her out bringing his restaurant background, rebooting the family business after arriving here.
Even the packaging is unique at Bagger. The bags everyone gets have a place for their names as well as featuring mini menus.
“We know a lot of our customers by name,” said Buchhauser. “Some of them come in to eat here almost every day.”
Peninsulans are the mainstay of The Gourmet Bagger’s business. The military is especially important.
“We do a lot with the military, MCRD, and Spawar,” said Buchhauser estimating the military is a quarter or better of his customer base. “We get a lot of uniforms in here,” he added.
The sandwich shop is open Mon.-Thurs. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Buchhauser likes being in Loma Square Shopping Center.
“It’s a good location,” he said. “It’s central. It’s worked out well over the years.”
Asked if he was planning on sticking around, Buchhauser replied, “I’ve been here 26 years. I don’t know what else I’d do. We’ve got another 15 years on our lease. We’re going to be here for a while.”
For more information call 619-523-0590 or visit thegourmetbagger.com.