Jonathan Leondakis spent years working in high-end retail before taking a rather dramatic pivot and becoming the managing director of a neighbourhood sandwich shop.
“I went from selling $15,000 handbags to $15 sandwiches,” he says with a laugh, though his people skills have ported over nicely to his new career. “It’s all about keeping those customer relationships going.”
He opened instant Richmond hit Hugo’s Deli at the start of 2022, alongside co-founders Jim Mavrogiannis and Ash Davies and head chef Tayne Akyalcin. The shop has thrived since then, serving fresh sangas with a mix of simplicity, friendliness and fun.
Hugo’s Deli doesn’t just compete with other frontrunners in Melbourne’s sandwich boom, but also all the other cafes and restaurants on busy Swan Street. The steady stream of foot traffic runs the gamut from regulars to tourists, and everyone in between.
“Business people flock to Swan Street when it’s lunchtime,” Leondakis says. “Then we’ve got locals who come for their daily coffee or for a sandwich on the weekend. You’ve got [the MCG] just down the road, so whenever there’s footy or cricket or soccer you’ve got that influx of customers looking for something good to eat.”
The Hugo’s team caters to that wide range of tastes by supplementing its core sandwiches – including a tuna melt, a Reuben, and an indulgent ham-and-four-cheese – with weekly or fortnightly specials that foster the chef’s creativity. That might be a citrus-cured salmon bagel or a smash burger served outside the usual hours, or baked goods that are all too mouth-watering. Plus, there are breakfast sandwiches as well as a lip-smacking vegan sanga with fried oyster mushrooms.
It’s all gone so well that they’re looking to expand with another store later this year. Things really started to click once the team turned the website into a comprehensive pre-order platform using Square. It simplifies the ordering process for both rusted-on regulars and curious newcomers.
“We had a great influx of people coming and wanted to make it easier for them,” Leondakis says. “We saw that Square offers that, and it’s customisable. A lot of offices here in Richmond use [our site] now: people can pre-order and expect their sandwiches to be done 15 minutes later. And once we sell out of a sandwich, it’s easy for our staff members to quickly take that off the pre-order system.”
That streamlined platform enables orders of up to 40 sandwiches to all come in at once, while preventing a bottleneck of people standing around outside during the hectic lunch rush. And even for those massive group orders, the Hugo’s team is still committed to banging them out in 15 minutes.
Hugo’s obviously isn’t the only sandwich shop around, so its ongoing success proves Leondakis and his team know what people like. Fresh ingredients and house-made sauces are a key part of that – “a lot of love goes into these sandwiches,” he adds – but personal touches like painstakingly slicing and brining the chicken wouldn’t matter if this wasn’t also a chill spot where customers like to stay, chat and mingle when time allows.
“It’s such a relaxed environment,” says Leondakis. “It’s somewhere to hang out, talk to the chefs and baristas and just enjoy a great sandwich. I think it’s part of the Melbourne culture now: Hugo’s for a sandwich on the weekend with your mates, your partner or by yourself.”
A great product is only half the battle. Going above and beyond means being genuine with the clientele, getting to know the customers and remembering their coffee orders and their dogs’ names – and being ready to banter at a moment’s notice.
“That’s what customers love about us: we’re easygoing and always joking around,” Leondakis says. “It’s your friendly neighbourhood shop, giving great customer service to anyone who walks in the door. If it’s your first time or your 100th time, you’ll get that same smile.”
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Square.
