Are we in the midst of a sandwich revolution? Whether carbs are back in trend is debatable. But specialty sandwich shops are opening all over India. Suddenly, we all have a friend who’s interested in “brioche buns,” pandemic-era sourdough is now easier to find, shokupan (Japanese milk bread) is on café menus, we’re learning that schiacciata is a Tuscan flatbread (not the nerve-wracking kind). Even the glazed donuts are coming loaded with delicious ingredients.
Obviously, these aren’t the white triangles of the lunchbox that mom used to pack on busy days. Not when the prices of some sandwiches exceed four figures. And not when some of the fillings include fruits, ice cream, Onam sadya favorites and Kerala chicken stew. Making sandwiches is a trendy business, but a lot can go wrong between two slices of bread – including the bread itself. Check out how some places are figuring it out.
Heroes, and some villainsSando Club, Bengaluru
Jassil Jamaludhin’s delicious sandwich brand was born from his weekend supper club. “After a few versions, we settled on a niche,” he says. “Sandwiches seemed to be served less. And compared to burgers and pizza, they allow more experimentation.” He and Carl Pinto opened the 18-seater eatery in Bengaluru’s Ashok Nagar six months ago.
They thought it would attract a younger crowd. But everyone started standing in line. And Jamaludhin has found out the reason. Each of their sandwiches has a distinctive flavor that is “low key and slaps you in the face”. Their bestsellers include a Tiger Sando: panko-fried prawns and citrus slaw on shokupan, served with a soy-cured egg; And grind on my Thai: fried chicken and som tam slaw with green curry mayo. At Mary’s Lamb, spicy vindaloo provides the punch. There’s also a rosé omelette parotta sandwich with a syringe of green jalapeño gastrique (“because we’re a little bougie like that,” one of their chefs says in an Instagram video).
But overall, the menu strives to offer something for everyone. “Like an Indian thali, we’ve tried to appeal to all taste buds,” says Jamaludhin. That means removing cheese from the ingredients (because “vegetarians deserve more”) and offering falafel, fried eggplant, chunky tzatziki and oyster mushrooms.
It’s taking time for sandwiches to be taken seriously in India. “People don’t have any mental standards for what a delicious sandwich should taste like or what it should cost,” says Pinto. In their search for adventure, they sometimes bite off more than they can chew. The slow cooked buffalo sandwich with pickled guava and dragonfruit was delicious. Their Onam Sadya Sandwich, with beetroot pachadi, cabbage thoran, fried banana chunks and kachumber salad in potato buns, was polarizing but popular. The everyday challenge is trying to determine “what’s a bummer and what’s too much.”
Delicious, and a little gangstaSuperdogs, Gurugram and Chennai
Indians are familiar with sandwiches. But hotdogs? They are still seen as distinctly American. Utkarsh Priyadarshi, founder of Superdogs, believes that maybe giving them a tasty glow could help. In five years, the brand has opened three outlets in Gurugram (including a one-year-old deli) and Chennai. And with a glare, they go full dog.
Brioche buns are baked fresh, nothing is stored for more than two days. Spices and fillings are made in-house using fresh produce and quality meats. “The main reason sausages are considered unhealthy is because people don’t know what goes into them,” says Priyadarshi. “Ours are made by hand, using only chicken breasts and natural casings. No preservatives or artificial flavourings.” The Chili Dog consists of chicken chili that has been braised in beer for four hours, and a cheese sauce – not an ingredient on American sportsfield menus. The Seattle Hotdog comes with cream cheese and toasted jalapeño. Even vegetarian dogs are delicious: mushrooms and green lentils, sweet potatoes and quinoa.
“No one wakes up in the morning and thinks about hotdogs,” admits Priyadarshi. So, they had to make their offering as visible as possible by selling at flea markets and music festivals before delivery services began. Sticking to non-Indian flavors (instead of the semi-familiar butter chicken hot dog) makes their battle even tougher. But they are leaning a little. Superburgers are on the menu, and they’re also targeting the after-party crowd, grilling dogs and smashing burgers until 3 in the morning. It’s still delicious, just more convenient. And a change seems to be happening. Superdog sold more than 5,000 hotdogs in restaurants in December alone.
Like any new food brand, being trendy is half the battle won. Previous Superdog successes include the Tuscan Dog with pesto, burrata, sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic reduction. They’re planning a birria hotdog next. Not every idea is successful – Priyadarshi explains in Superdogs’ Instagram series “Will It Be Hotdog?” I have accepted this. He gave the Spaghetti Carbonara inspired-hotdog (bacon, egg, Parmesan) a 5/10 rating. Too much mayo and the bacon was too crisp. “I’m going to put pineapple on hotdogs and piss off some people,” says Priyadarshi. “We want to be spirited and ever-changing.”
Classic, and Dumbo Deli, out of Delhi
It’s hard for a new sandwich brand to try something new. But it is tough for a new brand to give them a great edge. The three-month-old Dumbo Deli is all about the chic slim six-by-six-inch schiacciatas, or Florentine sandwiches, sold from noon until close. And they sell out before 3pm.
“We wanted to do something simple, but sophisticated,” says owner Pratik Gupta, who is also behind Delhi’s cafés Dali and Vinci. The sandwiches that go the fastest include the Bella (burrata foam, romaine lettuce, pistachio crema, basil pesto and confit heirloom tomatoes), the Viola (Parma ham and cream of Nduja) and the Tuscan Truffle (mushroom fricassee, rocket leaves, truffle pecorino crema and truffle shavings). This is the price in between 600 more ₹1,000 (for Tuscan Truffle). It’s not all Italian. Dumbo Deli serves Matcha Lattes, for which they grind the leaves every three days.
Already, the sandwich business is shattering industry myths, says Gupta. Most cooks say that preference for chicken dominates. “But the popularity of our Parma ham sandwiches says otherwise.” And while India associates the delicious sandwich with young professionals, Gupta sees them all, including “60-year-olds who come in for a coffee and a sandwich, or moms picking up an after-school snack for their kids.”
Soft sandwiches have a hard crust. Like everyone else in the business, Gupta says it’s challenging to establish bread and fillings as a delicious meal with similar prices. “Twenty people will love them, but 20 will also hate them because they expect something magical at this price.” Not everyone appreciates the subtle flavors of Tuscany. Some customers get the Tuscan Truffle Sandwich, which costs 1,000, outweigh. “In general, sandwich flavors like onion, tomato and cheese still perform well in India. And people are picky about what they like. Even changing lettuce to arugula may not get a good response.”
Meanwhile on Insta: Chetna Maken’s Sandwich series is packed with viewers
In April 2024, author and food writer Chetna Makan filmed herself making a “good looking cheese sandwich” at her home in Kent, England and posted it on Instagram (@ChetnaMakan). He also made a few other films, starting with his series Between the Slices. “It exploded,” she recalls. “People couldn’t get enough. It wasn’t just the visuals, but there was so much engagement.”
The series recently completed 100 episodes, with features ranging from familiar flavors like chicken tikka and shrimp and mayo to the more adventurous chickpea patties rolled in mixed seeds in focaccia. One episode, about yogurt and crunchy veggie white bread sandwiches pan-fried with mustard seeds, has been viewed seven million times. Maken now has 7.2 lakh followers on his account.
Even he is surprised by how much attention people pay to the sandwich videos. “I see a lot of sandwich stuff on social media. It’s nice to see, but a lot of them are over-the-top. I wouldn’t want to make them.” Her secret sauce is that the recipes are simple, requiring everyday ingredients and leftovers, often eaten on the kitchen counter. “I don’t string things together to create a sensation or make a viral reel,” says Maken. “I might sometimes burn the bread a little while grilling a sandwich. The chain is accidental, it doesn’t have to be perfect.”
He has no shortage of ideas. Maken debuted Season 2 in October 2025 with dishes ranging from harissa chicken and mango to chickpea flour and grilled cheese. He believes a good sandwich needs some protein, a flavorful sauce for moisture, and an element of crunch – pickles, cabbage or lettuce. “Social media may have played a role in fostering or exaggerating the love of sandwiches. But they’re so versatile and convenient. What’s not to love?”
From HT Brunch, 10 January 2026
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