Elm Grove Subs To Keep ‘Same Energy and Spirit’ Under New Owners
Emma Delk Trending
A staple Elm Grove eatery has reopened its doors under new ownership, with Elm Grove Subs bringing their signature hot subs and cheesesteaks back to Wheeling alongside new menu items.
The new owners, husband and wife Paul and Tonya Keller, were once frequent customers of the restaurant, often walking down to the shop to grab dinner since they live in the neighborhood. The couple decided to make the switch from in front to behind the counter when they noticed the "for sale" sign on the door of the restaurant while on a walk.
"We began looking into purchasing the business and saw it'd be a nice opportunity," explained Paul Keller. "Having a neighborhood sub shop is always a good idea."
Acquiring the business in June, Paul Keller explained that they spent the last three weeks "basically scrubbing the place down head to toe." Apart from the spruce-up, he explained they also reorganized and redid the menus to "clean them up" a little.
The couple wanted to keep the same "energy and spirit' of Elm Grove Subs by keeping the menu and recipes "largely the same."
To make sure faithful customers were satisfied, what the Kellers kept and added to the menu was determined by the feedback they received from customers on their Facebook page. Tonya Keller said the consensus from the customer base was "to keep everyone's favorite subs but with fresher options."
Paul Keller explained that they did not change any recipes, instead focusing on "better quality of meats" along with now "hand breading the chicken." New additions to the menu include homemade meatballs, burgers and fry bowls.
"We also made it so you can turn any cheesesteak or hoagie into a salad instead of having a list of a whole bunch of salads on the menu," added Paul Keller.
The hours of the shop were also extended to accommodate customer recommendations, with the Elm Grove Subs operating Tuesday through Friday from 11 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11 to 5 p.m.
While they are still "working out the kinks" as far as the food service side of things, admitted Tonya Keller, the couple is confident in their market as the "small city sub shop." After a couple of weekend soft openings for family and friends that went "very well," according to Paul Keller, the grand opening of the shop occurred Aug. 29.
"Basically, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grand opening, we were swamped," said Paul Keller.
"Most people who came in were regulars to the shop before we took over."
The couple plans on continuing to "adapt based on customer feedback" while still serving the same subs that brought Elm Grove Subs the dedicated customer base in the first place.
"This is a staple business in our community, and we want to keep the spirit of a hometown sub shop," said Paul Keller. "We offer things different from the other franchise brick-and-mortar places."