Duke Sandwich Co. is honoring its past, while looking to the future with refresh
Lillia Callum-PensoA Greenville institution is getting a bit of a facelift, not so much that it changes the core, but just enough to recalibrate the brand and its Greenville roots. Duke Sandwich Co., an integral piece of the Duke Brands company, will get a new look and an updated menu come May.
The changes come as the 100-year-old brand that grew from the beloved spread that was invented here in Greenville, is seeking ways to reach a broader audience, said Duke Brands vice president of marketing and product innovation, Matthew Haskell. Greenville’s growth brings the need to tell the Duke’s story into focus.
“We’re taking this as an opportunity to relay what part this has as a landmark in Greenville,” Haskell said. “And where the Duke Sandwich story fits into that.”
The changes center on just that, honoring roots while bringing in a few modern touches. Such will be noticeable in both menu and design. The former will include new sandwiches that play on Duke’s classic spreads (pimento cheese, chicken salad, ham, pepper and onion and egg salad) but bring in some fresh elements.
Helping with these efforts are general manager, Alison Kletecka, who brings experience at restaurants from The Cazbah to Husk and El Thrifty, and Kris McGowan, an experienced chef, who is consulting on the menu.
You can still get your $2.25 pimento cheese sandwich on white bread, or you can get a Ham Pepper Onion Dee-Lite with that classic spread, local bread and butter pickles, Swiss cheese and honey mustard on a kaiser roll.
“What can we do to introduce these classic items in ways that are a little more modern, but also honor what got us here?” Haskell said. “We don’t want to become something we’re not, but we do recognize the need to evolve with time.”
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In addition, updates include some cosmetic changes to the building spaces (1001 Poinsett Highway and 626 Congaree Road). New paint, new ceilings, refreshed furniture and signage but most importantly new displays that tell the Eugenia Duke story, and that of the company.
Eugenia Duke famously created her mayonnaise recipe and her spreads 100 years ago and sold them to soldiers stationed at Camp Sevier. The sandwiches, driven by their homemade condiments, were hugely popular. Legend has it that, Duke once made 10,000 sandwiches in one day.
In 1929, Duke sold the mayonnaise recipe, known for its added tanginess and zero sugar, to C.F. Sauer Company. She sold her spreads recipes to her bookkeeper, Alan Hart. Hart established wholesale market for the sandwiches, which grew into Duke Sandwich Company. In 1964, Hart sold the company to his brother-in-law, Loran Smart, according to the Duke Brands historical data. Today, the company remains in the Smart family. Current president and CEO, Andrew Smart, is Loan Smart’s grandson.
In 2017, Duke Brands, which also includes a ready-to-eat manufacturing segment called moved its offices to downtown Greenville, where Eugenia Duke once had hers.
Moving forward, the company would like to expand its Duke Sandwich footprint at sporting events and at local festivals. Duke Sandwich Company will have a booth at this year’s Artisphere, and there are discussions about also having some sort of presence at euphoria.
“We’re telling the story of its significance in Greenville, and we're telling the story of Eugenia Duke,” Haskell said.